What could Meta’s US settlement mean around the world – and what now for other claims against firm?
Summary
Meta agreed to pay $18 billion to settle a lawsuit brought by 29 US states accusing the company of making addictive products that harm young people. While this settlement affects Meta’s US platforms by adding limits on children’s usage, legal cases against Meta in other countries, such as one in Kenya, remain unresolved.Key Facts
- Meta is the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.
- In 2021, Abrham Meareg’s father was killed after Facebook’s algorithm had promoted posts calling for his murder during Ethiopia’s civil war.
- Meareg filed a lawsuit in Kenya against Meta in 2022, claiming the company failed to remove harmful content.
- Meta settled a US lawsuit from 29 states by agreeing to pay $18 billion and adding usage limits for children, like time restrictions and blocking use at night.
- The settlement is less than the $200 billion sought by the states and far below the $1.4 trillion Meta had mentioned as a potential cost.
- The US settlement includes features already required by other countries like the UK and Australia.
- Meta’s algorithm decides what content users see and is accused of promoting harmful or extreme content in various cases worldwide.
- Legal and regulatory actions against Meta outside the US are still ongoing and have not yet led to similar settlements.
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