Under a $18 billion settlement with 29 U.S. states, Meta has agreed to introduce sweeping changes aimed at restricting minors' access to its platforms, including Instagram and Facebook.
The new measures include a daily two-hour time limit for teenagers, which can only be disabled with parental permission once the cap is reached. A default 'Night Mode' will block underage users from accessing, posting or viewing content between midnight and 6 a.m., and autoplay controls have been introduced to prevent automatic content loading.
Meta has also promised to hide like counts on posts for underage users by default, though teens can choose to reveal these counts if they wish. Notifications during school hours will be muted, with autoplay blocked unless deliberate action is taken to view more content.
In a bid to strengthen user protection, Meta plans to block the use of extreme makeup filters and will expand its existing restrictions on cosmetic surgery filters. The company also aims for an industry-wide commitment, asking TikTok and YouTube to follow suit in introducing similar measures.
