Meta to pay $18 billion to settle teen social media addiction cases

Meta agrees to pay up to 18 billion US dollars and add stronger child-safety

measures to its Facebook and Instagram platforms as part of a landmark

legal settlement that puts an end to a trial over teen social media addiction

and settled claims filed by nearly every state.

In the landmark settlement that sees Meta, which operates social media platforms

Facebook and Instgram, potentially paying 18 US billion dollars to settle lawsuits

from nearly every state in the US for preying upon the fragile psyche of teenagers

with their addictive design.

If approved by the court, the settlement will stop an avalanche of

litigation by states against Meta.

Meta also agrees to adopt a series of safety features,

including two-hour daily time limits and eliminating push notifications

during school hours.

Other measures include "robust" age-assurance measures and "age-appropriate" content

controls to prevent bullying and harmful material about eating disorders and self-harm.

For the states, the settlement delivers money for mental-health programmes for kids,

including after-school or summer activities and digital literacy counsellors.

The settlement will be paid out over 10 years. California will get the largest sum of

at least 1.5 billion US dollars, but several other states will still collect hundreds

of millions of dollars each.

This though, does not mean the company is off the hook. Meta still faces lawsuits

from individuals and school districts throughout the US.

While that's a pretty penny from Meta, some parents feel it's too little too late.

Outside the courthouse in Oakland, California, this mother who lost her daughter to suicide

because of online bullying says while she is glad

to see changes being made no amount of money is going to reverse the harm already

done.