Meta's $18 billion settlement draws criticism for weak child-safety reforms

In a trial that concluded with an $18 billion settlement, Meta avoided liability while agreeing to fund child-safety measures across the US states and territories that sued. California attorney Megan O’Neill likened the company's approach to “hook, hold, harvest and hide,” but the settlement does not force Meta to admit fault. New provisions will make safety tools opt-out, let parents block algorithmic feeds, impose two-hour daily caps, night-time blocks, and require age verification, yet the digital age of consent remains at 13 and core algorithmic functions stay intact.

The payment, spread over a decade, is modest compared with Meta's $145 billion spending plan for the year. While the measures improve on current practices, they fall short of the stricter regulations being enacted in Australia, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Indonesia and the European Union. Ongoing lawsuits, such as the case brought by Abrham Mearag over alleged algorithm-driven violence in Ethiopia, highlight broader concerns about the platform's global impact.