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Meta has agreed to implement substantial platform modifications for teenage users following a settlement with state attorneys general and the District of Columbia this week. The social media company faces a financial penalty of up to $17 billion and must introduce multiple safety features for users under 18 years old.
The new restrictions include daily usage limits of two hours, app blackout periods from midnight to 6 a.m., and silenced notifications during school hours. Meta will also disable cosmetic filters, remove like counts from posts, and offer users a chronological feed option that displays content in the order it was posted rather than through algorithmic recommendations. Additionally, the company must establish an age verification system for young users.
Digital media experts largely support these changes, particularly the time restrictions, night mode, and algorithmic feed modifications. Researchers have long pointed to algorithmic recommendations as problematic, noting that a single viewed post can trigger a cascade of similar content that may negatively impact teen mental health. Industry observers emphasize that the success of these reforms depends on Meta’s genuine compliance and effective independent auditing of the implementation.
While professionals agree the measures represent meaningful progress in protecting teen users, they stress the importance of ongoing research to evaluate how these modifications actually affect young people’s behavior and wellbeing on the platforms.
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Originally reported by Rollingstone →
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