Meta Settles Child Safety Lawsuit for Up to $17 Billion Over 10 Years

According to CNBC, Meta Platforms settled its child safety lawsuit with more than 40 states, the District of Columbia and multiple territories for up to $17 billion over 10 years, and agreed to make major changes to its apps for teen users. The settlement includes a two-hour default limit on app use, a block on the apps between midnight and 6 a.m., muted notifications during school hours, hidden likes, disabled cosmetic filters, autoplay controls and an option for a non-algorithmic feed for users ages 13 to 17. Meta said it will roll out many of the default protections in the next six months, while age assurances, which are stricter age verification requirements, could take up to a year. The company is also building a new prediction model to identify users under 13 and those in the 13-to-17 range using signals such as connections, follows and birthday greetings. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the settlement is the highest amount of money ever paid in a case like this, while Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said the changes should be permanent.