META SETTLEMENT IS A WIN FOR KIDS AND FAMILIES – AND A SIGN TO KEEP PUSHING FOR CHANGE
We all want children's formative years to be filled with meaningful relationships, confidence, joy, and opportunities to learn. Right now, that’s not what many of Washington’s young people are experiencing. Half of our state’s adolescents experience anxiety and depression, and excessive time spent engaging with addictive online platforms like social media has been shown to increase the risk of these experiences.
But in a victory for kids and families across the country, Meta—the tech giant behind social media platforms Facebook and Instagram—recently agreed to a settlement to end a lawsuit brought by a coalition of 47 states and four territories, including Washington. The lawsuit alleged, among other things, that the company designed its platforms with addictive features, knowingly exposed young users to serious mental health harms, illegally collected preteen users’ data without parental consent, and misled the public about platform safety. As a result of this settlement, Meta will pay at least $12 billion directly to the suing states and territories to address the harms of their products, including at least $237 million to Washington, over the next 10 years. Meta also committed to implementing a strong set of safety features to create a healthier experience for young users of its platforms, including but not limited to:
Two-hour time limits for minors across Meta’s social media platforms which could help decrease the risk of behavioral health issues.
Nighttime restrictions that limit access to the platforms between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m.
Stronger age-assurance procedures, with significant limitations for how Meta can use and retain data, including prohibiting its use for advertising
Blocks on push notifications at night and during the school day, which would reduce distractions and help kids focus.
The option for minor users to choose a chronological (rather than algorithmically personalized) feed as their default, giving young people the power to decide what they see in their feeds.
Hiding social comparison information by default, such as likes and view counts, and disabling cosmetic appearance filters for minor users
Strong parental controls so that parents can work with their children to help them safely engage online.
Independent auditing and oversight to regularly assess both the implementation and effectiveness of the required safety measures.
This agreement is a significant step in the right direction. Children’s Alliance has been proactively advocating for similar safety measures at the state level, and we are encouraged to see that key safeguards will now be implemented in Washington and beyond. But the work is far from over, and this settlement is also a sign that we need to keep pushing for more.
The settlement secures significant new protections for children and teens and reflects growing concern among policymakers and regulators about the impact of social media on young people’s well-being. As part of the settlement, Meta will increase its payments up to a total of $17.1 billion (meaning a total of $339 million for Washington) if other platform owners agree to implement the same safety features. Advocates should continue pushing for stronger safeguards across the industry so that as many social media platforms as possible make changes to create a healthier online experience for children and youth.
Children’s Alliance will be tracking the rollout of these safety features and their impact on youth behavioral health, as well as advocating for strategic investment of the settlement dollars. Stay tuned for future updates!