Meta's historic $18 billion settlement may mean little for the plight of teens
Meta has reached an $18 billion settlement with US states to address concerns regarding the impact of its platforms on children's mental health. The agreement includes new product restrictions, such as time limits and the removal of infinite scroll, though experts question if these changes will solve the underlying issues.
Why it matters
This is a landmark legal settlement that sets a precedent for how social media giants are regulated and held accountable for their impact on youth safety.
Bloomberg/Getty Images; Getty Images; Tyler Le/BI On Wednesday, Meta reached an agreement with attorneys general across states, Washington, DC, and US territories that had brought claims the design of the company's apps had harmed children. The company will pay up to $18 billion in penalties and alter its apps to potentially limit the amount of time teens spend on them daily. The settlement is historic: It's the highest ever paid to states by a Big Tech company, and it could have massive implications for how other social media companies design their platforms for both kids and adult users. What we don't yet know is whether the specific changes Meta has agreed to implement will alleviate what brought on the lawsuit in the first place: the problems teens face when they log on to social media .
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