Sourced online by Tracy Cabrera
Meta faces up to $18 billion settlement as US states push tougher protections for young users
MANILA, Philippines — Meta Platforms Inc. could pay as much as US$18 billion, or roughly ₱1.12 trillion, under a sweeping legal resolution involving 29 US states accusing the company of designing Facebook and Instagram in ways that encourage children and teenagers to become excessively dependent on the platforms.
The agreement, described as a major development in the effort to strengthen protections for young internet users, would require Meta to make significant changes to how its two social media platforms operate for minors.
Among the measures are restrictions on nighttime access, stronger age-appropriate content controls, a proposed daily limit on usage by young users, and the suspension of push notifications during weekday school hours.
The action comes amid a growing wave of lawsuits filed across the United States by state and local governments, school districts and individuals alleging that Meta and other major social media companies have contributed to a worsening mental health crisis among young Americans.
Meta, one of the world’s most valuable technology companies with a reported market value of about US$1.47 trillion, said it is committed to making its platforms safer for teenagers.
“We want to get this right for parents and teens and that’s why we partnered with state attorneys general to set a new industry standard,” the company said.
The financial penalty, however, is unlikely to cripple Meta given the scale of its business. The company reportedly earned about US$16 billion in profit in the most recent quarter alone.
What could prove more consequential is the operational impact of the settlement.
Analysts said the agreement signals Meta’s desire to put much of the litigation behind it, while warning that the legal battle over social media’s impact on young people is far from over.
The case could also have wider implications for Meta’s global operations if the company is compelled to modify the algorithms and platform features that govern how Facebook and Instagram engage teenage users.
With hundreds of millions of teenagers estimated to use the platforms worldwide, changes imposed in the United States could eventually influence how Meta manages youth accounts in other countries.
The issue is particularly relevant in the Philippines, where government agencies and schools continue to grapple with the challenge of protecting children and teenagers from online risks.
Concerns range from excessive social media use and harmful content to cyberbullying, online exploitation and the potential use of social media platforms to spread violent or extremist material.
Recent violent incidents involving young people have also intensified calls in various countries for stronger safeguards on social media and greater accountability from technology companies.
For the Philippines, the developments in the United States could serve as another warning that protecting young users may require not only parental supervision and digital literacy, but also stronger platform controls and clearer government regulations.
ia/xf
