Meta's $18bn settlement may hasten reckoning for social media on child safety
Summary
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, agreed to pay up to $18 billion to settle a lawsuit about how it handles children's data and safety on its platforms. The case involved accusations that Meta violated the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act by collecting data from children under 13 and not doing enough to protect them online.Key Facts
- The lawsuit was brought by 29 US states, focusing on Meta’s treatment of children’s online privacy.
- The case is based on a law called COPPA, which is almost 30 years old and regulates data collection from children under 13.
- Meta settled the case after a five-day trial, avoiding potentially hundreds of billions of dollars in fines.
- Meta is not admitting to any wrongdoing in the settlement.
- As part of the agreement, Meta will introduce new safety measures for young users, including a two-hour time limit on Facebook and Instagram for teens.
- The trial featured testimony from a former Instagram employee who said Meta ignored reports about harm to children.
- Internal documents revealed Meta sometimes chose to pay fines rather than improve safety features.
- Despite the settlement, Meta’s social media platforms remain key to its business revenue, especially from advertising using user data.
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