Meta’s $18 billion settlement puts TikTok and YouTube on notice. Who's next on the firing line? - CNBC
Meta has agreed to an $18 billion settlement regarding allegations that its platforms harmed younger users, with a portion of the payment contingent on competitors like YouTube and TikTok adopting similar safety measures. The settlement forces significant changes to platform features for users under 18, such as usage limits and filter restrictions.
Why it matters
This settlement sets a major legal precedent for social media regulation and creates industry-wide pressure for tech giants to prioritize child safety features.
Meta 's watershed social media trial just wrapped up in California, but now attention is shifting to the wider industry with TikTok, YouTube and Snap next on the firing line.
The Instagram and Facebook owner settled in week two of a trial brought by a coalition of tens of U.S. states alleging that the tech giant had misled the public about the harms its platforms posed to younger users.
The agreement includes a payment of up to $18 billion , part of which is tied to conditional action by other social media giants. Meta said it would also make fundamental changes to its platforms for users under the age of 18, including but not limited to a 2-hour daily usage limit that only a parent can lift, disabling extreme makeup and cosmetic surgery filters, tighter age verification measures, and night mode.
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