By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has agreed to restrict teenagers from using its apps at night and impose a default two-hour daily limit on their combined use of the platforms.
The measures formed part of a $16.7 billion settlement reached with US states over allegations that Meta deliberately designed its platforms to keep young users engaged, misled the public about the associated risks and unlawfully collected data from children under 13.
Under the settlement, Meta will block teenagers from accessing its apps during designated nighttime hours, while their combined daily use across the company’s family of apps will be capped at two hours by default.
The agreement followed claims by US states that Meta had engineered its platforms to encourage prolonged use among teenagers while failing to adequately address the potential risks associated with its services.
The states also alleged that the company collected personal data from children under 13 without lawful authorisation.
The $16.7 billion settlement represents a major development in the growing legal and regulatory scrutiny of social media companies over the impact of their platforms on children and teenagers.
The new measures are expected to reduce nighttime access and limit the amount of time teenagers spend on Meta’s platforms each day.
AFP
