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In what has been described as “as critical point in the protection of online users,” Meta Platforms has agreed to pay up to US$18 billion (about ₱1.12 trillion) and refit Facebook and Instagram to resolve claims by 29 states in the United States that it designed those platforms specifically to make online addicts of children.
This is in compliance with a federal court ruling which also ordered Meta to limit nighttime usage of its two platforms by children and impose age-appropriate controls on content.
The social media giant, which based on official assessment is worth about US$1.47 trillion, faced a deluge of lawsuits filed by states, local governments, school districts and individuals across the US, who argued that Meta and other social media companies have spurred a mental health crisis among young Americans.
Aside from introducing a ‘hard cap’ on daily usage by youths, Meta also agreed to eliminate push notifications during weekday school hours.
In a statement, Meta announced that it is ensuring teens have a safe and productive experience on (its) platforms, citing that the move is an absolute imperative.
“We want to get this right for parents and teens and that’s why we partnered with state attorneys general to set a new industry standard,” it stressed.
In reaction to this development, one observer remarked that “US$18 billion is not exactly pocket change, but it’s hardly a body blow” to Meta, which reportedly netted profits of around US$16 billion in the last quarter alone.
But what is significant, another enthused, is that Meta “is clearly signaling that it would like this litigation behind it.”
“But it is not game over,” he added.
Still, both asserted that the legal decision will have a profound effect on Meta’s global platform infrastructure, as it resets the algorithmic configurations for Facebook and Instagram, which, together, have an estimated 400 million teenage users worldwide.
In the Philippines, the fallout will be felt signifucantly as the government is struggling to protect young online users from the threats that lurk on social media.
A string of school shootings has highlighted the role of social media in fueling such violent incidents and the urgent need to establish safeguards to prevent them from recurring.