The lawsuit against the company Meta was launched by the attorneys general of 29 US states, claiming that Meta deliberately developed features that encourage young users to stay on Facebook and Instagram for as long as possible.
Giant social networks, the company Meta has reached a settlement with 29 US states to resolve a lawsuit related to the safety of children on Facebook and Instagram.
Meta will pay a maximum of $16,68 billion, the BBC reported.
The verdict requires Meta to introduce certain rules for teenage users, including daytime restrictions and nighttime blockades.
The lawsuit was brought by state prosecutors, who argued that the company intentionally developed features that encourage young users to stay on the platforms as long as possible, and that it did not do enough to prevent children under 13 from using its services.
The proceedings also raised accusations that Meta collected data on minor users without proper parental consent, which would constitute a violation of the US Children’s Internet Privacy Act. States have also accused the company of misleading the public about the security of its platforms.
Meta denied any wrongdoing in agreeing to the settlement.
The settlement was reached at a time when a federal court in California was already considering a case that could have led to significantly greater financial consequences for the company. Federal prosecutors at one point sought potential fines in the hundreds of billions of dollars, while Meta denied that its operations caused harm to children and teenagers.
The dispute is part of a broader wave of US lawsuits against major tech companies over the way their platforms affect young users.
In addition to Meta, other large social networks are also exposed to similar legal and regulatory pressure, while a large number of proceedings are being conducted before American courts in which issues of platform design, protection of minors, privacy and the potential impact of social networks on the mental health of young people are considered.
For Matt, the case is particularly significant because she has already suffered a serious legal blow in New Mexico in recent weeks. There, the court ordered the company to pay a total of $942 million and implement a series of additional measures to protect minors, including time limits and nightly notification blocks. Meta announced that it will appeal against that decision.
Source: Vreme
