Meta just signed off on an $18 billion settlement that changes the rules for teenagers in the US on Instagram and Facebook.
The announcement of the deal, which was made on August 26, is a settlement of claims that Meta designed the platforms to be addictive for teenagers.
Hence, the $17.1 billion, including a separate Texas settlement that sums up to almost $18 billion, will go to states for youth mental health, education, and related services. 
The changes to be made, on the other hand, will pull back some of the addictive features on the apps.
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The New Changes on Facebook and Instagram to Expect
Once the court approves the deal, the changes will automatically apply to teenage users under 18 years old in the participating US states and territories.
The changes include:
- A default two-hour daily time limit for persons below the age of 18 on Facebook and Instagram. This feature cannot be disabled without parental permission.
- A nighttime blackout from midnight to 6 a.m. Overnight access to the platforms will be shut down; no posting, no Feeds, Stories, or Reels.
- Muted notifications during school hours, typically from 8 a.m to 3 p.m.
- Meta says it is “investing in even stronger technology to proactively catch accounts that may belong to under-13s,” for age verification.
- To encourage intentional use, teens will get prompts at intervals of 15 minutes during continuous screen time on the two platforms. They’ll also receive prompts when their total daily usage hits 60 minutes and 90minutes.
- Teens will be able to choose a non-personalised algorithmic feed recommended by Meta as the default mode. Parents can, however, choose to adjust this setting.
- Instead of the default autoplay feature, teens will now be able to turn off autoplay. They will need to take deliberate actions like tapping or swiping to see more content.
- By default, teens will no longer see the number of likes and reactions on posts.
- Teens will also be blocked from using extreme makeup filters.
Under the settlement, the enforcement of these rules will span a period of 10 years.
Why is Meta Changing Rules for Teens?
This development follows years (since 2023) of escalating legal pressure from nearly every U.S. state.
The state attorneys general of 52 states, the District of Columbia, and territories accused Meta of:
- Intentionally designing addictive features like infinite scroll, algorithmic recommendations, and other engagement tools – that enabled compulsive use among children and teens.
- Knowing but ignoring the mental-health harms, such as anxiety, depression, body-image issues, etc that the addiction could cause and failing to adequately warn the public or change course.
- Deceiving parents and the public about the safety of the platforms for young users.
- Violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) by collecting personal data from children under 13 without proper parental consent.
Instead of admitting to these wrongdoings, Meta agreed to pay up to $18 billion over 10 years and implement product changes.
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Will TikTok and YouTube Follow the Same Framework?
The 52 states involved will receive approximately 70% (~$12.7 billion) over 10 years. The remaining 30% will be forfeited on the condition that TikTok and YouTube also implement a one-hour Daily Limit, Night Mode, and age-assurance measures, provided they pay an amount matching the 30% figure.
Hence, Meta has called on TikTok and YouTube to implement these changes on their platforms right away.
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