Facebook’s parent company Meta has agreed to settle a court case alleging that its platforms harm children for up to $18-billion.
The case, which started last week, was brought by 29 US states.
In the 2023 filing, the states claimed that Meta had contravened a number of federal and state privacy laws protecting children, including the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act in place to pre-teens from being targeted by businesses operating online.
The case hinged on accusations that Instagram and Facebook were deliberately designed to be addictive to children and teens, making it difficult for them to reduce their usage. Notifications are also designed to keep bringing users back on to the platform.
In addition, the plaintiffs said Meta had not only misled them about the safely of the platforms, but also collected children’s personal data.
Meta has denied all the claims.
The social media giant has committed to strengthening its technology to better estimate whether accounts are being used by children and teens. It has also called on app stores to provide verified age information.