Alongside the settlement, Meta will need to implement stronger safety measures on its Facebook and Instagram platforms geared towards teenagers aged 13 to 17.

New features that will be automatically enabled on accounts of users aged 13 to 17 include daily time limits, nighttime off-limits hours, and reduced functionality during school hours.

Notifications will also be muted between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. from August 15 to June 15 to minimize distractions during school hours. Teens will also get prompts every 15 minutes of continuous screen time, with additional notifications at 60 and 90 minutes of use.

The new safety measures are set to be implemented within the next six months, according to Meta.

In a press statement, Meta demonstrated compliance with state attorneys general in their efforts to create a safe environment for its young users, calling on similar social media platforms, such as YouTube and TikTok, to follow suit.

“While this is an important step, the fact is that teens move fluidly between dozens of apps a day. All platforms should empower parents and support teens by implementing the same measures, because we know that when teens are restricted on one app, they simply move to another. For meaningful progress to happen, we urge TikTok and YouTube to join us and state attorneys general in adopting this new standard, to ensure teens use social media in a healthy and responsible way,” the statement read.

Launched by a coalition of U.S. state attorneys general in 2023, led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, together with the AGs of Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey, the lawsuit alleged that Meta’s Facebook and Instagram platforms were deliberately designed to keep children compulsively engaged and that the company misrepresented the risks to young users.

Joined by 28 other states, the case became a federal “Multidistrict Litigation,” defined as a special federal court procedure that consolidates many similar civil lawsuits filed in different courts across the country into one court for all pretrial matters, such as evidence gathering, according to US Law Explained, which encompassed the broader subject of intentionally creating an addictive product for people to use.

If approved by the court, the deal will stop the nearly 3,000 state lawsuits against Meta, although the company still faces lawsuits from individuals and school districts throughout the U.S.

The settlement will be paid out over 10 years. California will receive the largest share, at least $1.5 billion, but several other states will still collect hundreds of millions of dollars each over the decade.

As part of the settlement, Meta has also agreed to enforcement measures, including engaging an independent auditor to relay any concerns to the attorneys general and developing and deploying more robust tools for parental supervision. The company will also be prohibited from “making further false, misleading, or deceptive statements around its safety features.”

In its press statement, Meta outlined how the settlement funds would be used and the stipulations attached, to be applied after two conditions are met.

According to Meta, 70%, or approximately $12.7 billion, can be used to fund youth online safety initiatives, among other state priorities, distributed in annual installments over a ten-year period.

The remaining 30% will be released only if YouTube and TikTok adhere to the restrictions by implementing a one-hour Daily Limit, Night Mode, and age-assurance measures. The two platforms are also asked to each pay 30%, with half of the remaining funds allocated to YouTube’s payment and half to TikTok’s.

But Will the New Restrictions be Effective?

Teenagers have found ways to circumvent restrictions imposed on them, and while the new safety rules Meta will implement will help limit exposure to Facebook and Instagram, other social media platforms remain available, offering easier access to unrestricted features.

As mentioned earlier, Meta called on other platforms to follow suit by adopting stricter guidelines, since easier access will just enable teenagers to jump from one platform to another, circumventing the restrictions and perpetuating the issue.

Parents are expected to be more involved in how their children consume social media, as the restrictions enable greater control.

Meta called for parents to implement the supervision tools given to them by the company and enable features like the notification system when a teen links a secondary account, alerting them to interactions with potentially suspicious accounts, and providing periodic updates on their teen’s usage and any changes their teen attempts to make to their protective settings.

Teenagers interviewed by The New York Times largely agreed with the new restriction implementations, saying that while these provide them with a community, they are aware that overconsumption will lead to addiction.

One teenager noted that the apps have kept them from establishing a consistent sleep schedule and said cutting back on their use is difficult.

While thinking the new rules will be effective, Althea Juntunen, 16, a junior in Boulder, Colorado, expressed concerns that teenagers will always try to find loopholes in the system, especially for young people aiming to establish a professional online presence.

“Everyone finds loopholes when they want to go on social media,” Juntunen said.

While this settlement is a step in the right direction, it cannot be seen as the sole solution to social media overconsumption among teenagers. A holistic approach to the issue that is responsive to changing needs and issues that arise will increase the chances of successful moderation.