Pennsylvania to get up to $729M as Meta settles over child safety on Instagram, Facebook
PHILADELPHIA - Pennsylvania, along with almost every other state, has reached a groundbreaking settlement with Meta that will require major changes on Facebook and Instagram to better protect young users, according to Attorney General Dave Sunday.
The agreement, part of a nationwide civil trial in California, is the largest-ever settlement involving a big tech company and could bring Pennsylvania between $516 million and $729 million over several years.
Pennsylvania's role in historic tech settlement
Attorney General Dave Sunday said the deal assures Meta will put in place strong age verification, limits on the time children spend on the platforms, and new protections against harmful content. Sunday called it a "landmark settlement that brings transformative changes to these hugely-popular social media spaces."
Sunday said Meta's changes include age restrictions, caps on endless scrolling, and new rules on filters tied to body image.
What we know:
The agreement calls for several new safety features, including a combined two-hour daily time limit for children using Instagram and Facebook, with breaks required after 15, 60, and 90 minutes of use. This cap will be in effect for five years, but could be reduced to 60 minutes per platform for 10 years if competitors like Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube agree to similar terms. Other changes include nighttime blocks from 12:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m., limits on notifications during school hours, stronger age checks, better content controls, and more robust parental tools.
Meta will be required to limit features like beauty filters and public like counts and will be subject to regular audits by an independent third party.
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Meta agrees to settle social media addiction case for up to $16.8B
Meta has agreed to pay nearly $17 billion and add child-safety measures to its Facebook and Instagram platforms to end a landmark trial that's been playing out in Oakland over teen social media addiction and settle claims filed by 47 states, court records show.
Timeline:
The national probe into the social media industry began in 2021, with attorneys general across the country investigating companies for promoting addictive features to children and teens despite knowing the risks. The states sued Meta after finding it designed Instagram to keep children addicted while documenting the harm but failing to warn parents. The new settlement ends these lawsuits and resolves claims related to Facebook user data sharing with third parties ahead of the 2016 election.
A closer look at the states involved
Dozens of states and territories joined the settlement, including Pennsylvania, California, Texas, New York, New Jersey, and others.
"We commend Meta for finally choosing this path of protecting kids, but our battle does not end here; we remain engaged with other social media and big tech companies to make changes, and we will not stand down," Sunday said.
Why you should care:
The changes will affect how kids and teens across the country engage with some of the most popular social platforms, aiming to make social media safer and limit exposure to harmful content.
What we don't know:
The settlement's full impact depends on court approval and whether other platforms agree to similar changes. The exact timing for when these changes will be put in place was not specified.
The Source: Attorney General Dave Sunday’s announcement and the multistate coalition settlement details.