California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a proposed settlement between Meta and several US states, which addresses a significant federal lawsuit concerning child safety on social media. This announcement came after opening arguments in a trial held at the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and United States Courthouse in Oakland, California.
The lawsuit involved states like California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey, representing a broader group accusing Meta of making its platforms, Facebook and Instagram, addictive for children while concealing risks from the public. Furthermore, the states claimed Meta violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) by collecting data on children under 13. Meta has practices prohibiting users under this age, but some children manage to bypass this by misrepresenting their age.
The proposed settlement, if approved, would obligate Meta to pay $17 billion over ten years and implement substantial changes to its platforms to enhance safety for minors. Bonta stated, “Today, we have secured a settlement with Meta that will make social media less dangerous for our kids and make a world of a difference for children and their families.” Meta would need to implement a default time limit, impose nighttime and schooltime blocks, and remove likes or reactions to minors’ posts. It would also ban cosmetic surgery filters on images for under-18 users and offer a non-personalized content feed.
An independent auditor with extensive access and communication rights with attorneys general will monitor Meta’s compliance. Meta must avoid any misleading statements about its safety features going forward. Bonta emphasized the importance of these changes in protecting children on social media.
The trial began recently in Oakland federal court and was scheduled to continue into early October. The settlement was announced in the trial’s second week. Testimonies came from former Meta insiders, including whistleblower Arturo Béjar, highlighting a company focus on user growth despite internal data showing child safety concerns.
Instagram head Adam Mosseri was questioned about certain features like “Take a Break,” intended to reduce app usage among teens but reportedly had low adoption. The settlement requires approval from Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
This case is part of a broader set of legal actions comparable to lawsuits against tobacco companies in the 1990s. The settlement encompasses 51 similar cases and claims, as reported by the California Attorney General’s Office.