Meta’s $18B child-safety deal hinges on age-verification tech that doesn’t work well
Meta has reached an $18 billion settlement with 29 U.S. states regarding allegations of child safety failures on Instagram and Facebook. While the headline figure is large, analysts note the payment is spread over a decade and may be less impactful than the requirement to implement complex, unproven age-verification technology.
Why it matters
This settlement sets a significant precedent for how social media platforms are held accountable for user safety and may force industry-wide changes in age-gating technology.
Meta reached an $18 billion settlement on Wednesday over a lawsuit brought by 29 U.S. states concerning children’s safety. The settlement is historic in scale as Meta agrees with a group of 52 attorneys general to implement sweeping changes to how minors use Instagram and Facebook.
The article presents both the legal settlement and the skepticism regarding its actual impact and the efficacy of the required technology.
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