3 days ago
How Meta Reached a $17 Billion Child Safety Settlement
Meta owns Instagram and Facebook, and many states said its apps could harm children.
They argued that the apps were designed to keep young people using them for too long.
Meta had said laws protecting online platforms could shield it from these cases.
But the company lost two important trials in March, and an appeals court later refused to throw out similar lawsuits.
State officials and Meta then negotiated almost every day.
Meta agreed to pay about $17 billion and add new safety controls for teenagers.
These controls include limits on scrolling, nighttime use, and notifications during school hours.
Texas made a separate deal worth about $1 billion.
Meta still faces many other lawsuits from young people, families, and school districts.
Meta agreed to pay roughly $17 billion to 47 states, Washington, D.C., and several territories.
The settlement followed months of negotiations led by Meta legal chief C.J. Mahoney and state attorneys general.
Meta agreed to teen-safety changes including limits on scrolling, usage hours, overnight access, and notifications.
Negotiations accelerated after an appeals court rejected Meta’s attempt to dismiss social media addiction cases.
Texas separately settled with Meta for about $1 billion, while Meta still faces thousands of other lawsuits.
- Who
- Meta, led in the negotiations by Chief Legal Officer C.J. Mahoney, and attorneys general from 47 states, Washington, D.C., and several territories.
- What
- A multistate settlement worth roughly $17 billion involving payments and changes to Meta’s platforms to improve teen safety.
- Where
- Negotiations took place partly in Nashville, Tennessee, while related litigation occurred in California and other state courts.
- When
- Negotiations intensified in August, with the settlement announced Wednesday after agreements were signed Tuesday.
- Why
- The states alleged that Meta’s platforms were designed in ways that harmed children and violated consumer protection and child privacy laws.
State Attorneys General
Meta
Platform reforms
State Attorneys General
The states said meaningful safety changes to Meta’s products were the most important part of the settlement.
Meta
Meta agreed to new controls but said the settlement’s success depends on other social media platforms adopting similar measures.
Legal accountability
State Attorneys General
State officials argued that Section 230 and the First Amendment do not prevent holding Meta accountable for harmful product design and conduct.
Meta
Meta had argued that Section 230 and constitutional free-speech protections should shield it from the lawsuits and said it remained confident it could win other cases.
Settlement versus trial
State Attorneys General
The states pursued payments and platform changes after alleging that Meta contributed to harms affecting children and families.
Meta
Meta sought to avoid trial and required all states to join before accepting the multistate settlement.
Key facts
- Settlement value
- Roughly $17 billion for the multistate agreement; Meta had initially offered up to $19 billion.
- Participating jurisdictions
- 47 states, the District of Columbia, and several territories.
- Teen usage limits
- The agreement includes a two-hour daily limit on Instagram and Facebook use.
- Restricted hours
- Teen use would be limited from midnight to 6 a.m., with notifications silenced from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Appeals court ruling
- On August 10, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against Meta’s effort to dismiss the cases.
- Texas agreement
- Texas separately settled with Meta for about $1 billion and similar youth-safety guardrails.
- Remaining litigation
- Meta still faces thousands of suits from teenagers, families, and school districts.
Quotes
Jonathan Skrmetti
Tennessee attorney general and lead negotiator for the states
“We brought these suits because we wanted to protect kids and we wanted to reform the platforms”
indianexpress.com
“But its success depends on all other social media platforms following Meta’s lead”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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