New York could receive up to $1.15 billion under a proposed multistate settlement with Meta that would require the company to make significant changes to how children and teenagers use Facebook and Instagram.
New York Attorney General Letitia James announced the agreement Wednesday with a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general from across the country.. The settlement, which is subject to court approval, could provide up to $17.1 billion to participating states.
The agreement stems from a 2023 lawsuit alleging Meta designed social media features to keep young users engaged while exposing them to harmful content.
What will New York receive?
Meta will pay the states at least $12.1 billion under the agreement. That amount could increase to $17.1 billion if other major social
media companies reach similar settlements with the states.
New York is expected to receive at least $819 million and as much as $1.15 billion.
The money is intended to fund mental health services, education programs and other efforts to address the effects of unhealthy social media use among young people.
How will Meta change Facebook and Instagram for minors?
Under the settlement, Meta will limit users under 18 to two hours of daily use across Facebook and Instagram, with exceptions for messaging features.
Minors also would:
- Be blocked from accessing the platforms between midnight and 6 a.m.
- Not receive push notifications between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.
- Have notifications limited during school hours.
- Receive reminders to take breaks after 60 and 90 minutes of daily use.
- Receive reminders during continuous sessions lasting longer than 15 minutes.
Meta also must take steps to verify users' ages and give young users the option to use non-algorithmic feeds that display posts from accounts they follow in chronological order.
Parents using Meta's parental supervision tools can make a non-algorithmic feed the default for their children.
Young users also will not see likes and other reactions on posts and will have tools to report inappropriate, offensive, unwanted or illegal content.
Parents must give explicit permission for restrictions on time and content to be disabled.
Stricter restrictions could follow
The initial restrictions will remain in place for at least five years.
If other major social media companies reach similar settlements with the states, Meta would face stricter requirements for a second phase lasting 10 years.
Those requirements would include limiting minors to 60 minutes on each Meta platform per day, blocking access between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. and disabling push notifications.
How did the Meta lawsuit begin?
James and other attorneys general sued Meta in October 2023, alleging the company knowingly designed features that were addictive and harmful to children and teenagers.
The lawsuit accused Meta of using algorithms, infinite scrolling and frequent notifications to keep young users on its platforms longer. It also alleged that Facebook and Instagram could direct young users toward harmful content, including material promoting eating disorders and self-harm.
James said the settlement will provide resources to communities while imposing new restrictions on Meta's platforms.
"With significant new resources for our communities and comprehensive restrictions on Meta’s platforms for young people, we are taking a major step towards breaking the cycle of social media addiction," James said.
The settlement is subject to court approval.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: NY could get up to $1.15 billion from Meta settlement over social media and kids
