Meta reaches $16.68bn settlement over social media harms
Meta agrees to pay $16.68 billion to settle US state claims that its platforms harmed children's mental health and privacy.Summary
Meta Platforms has agreed to pay up to $16.68 billion to settle claims from 29 US states that it designed Facebook and Instagram to addict children, misled consumers about safety, and improperly collected children's personal data. The settlement resolves a federal trial and will end litigation that alleged social media companies contributed to a youth mental health crisis. As part of the agreement, Meta will impose daily usage limits and restrict nighttime access for children on its platforms, while enhancing measures to prevent access to age-restricted content. The company denied wrongdoing. The settlement also resolves separate lawsuits from California, Illinois, New Mexico, and Washington DC over the Cambridge Analytica scandal, with $459.3 million allocated to those states. This resolution is part of broader litigation against social media companies, with Meta still facing thousands of other lawsuits.
(Source：Rte.ie)