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Meta Agrees to $17B Settlement Over Teen Harm
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Meta Agrees to $17B Settlement Over Teen Harm
Meta agreed to pay up to 17 billion dollars to settle major US lawsuits.
State officials argued that Meta designed its apps to hook young people.
They showed that features like infinite scroll harmed teen mental health.
Under the deal, Meta must make major design changes for users under 18.
By default, teen accounts will get a daily two-hour limit across both apps.
Meta will also block app access between midnight and 6 a.m.
Parents can change these limits, but the protections start turned on.
In addition, the apps will mute notifications during school hours.
Like counts will be hidden, and cosmetic surgery filters will be blocked.
Jim Steyer from the group Common Sense Media said
the settlement is a watershed moment for child safety.
An independent auditor will check Meta's compliance for five years.
Meta denied any wrongdoing,
but it called on rivals like TikTok and YouTube to adopt the same rules.
Quiz 🧠
Q1. Spending endless hours on social media can harm teen mental health.
Show answer
✅ True
Constant scrolling and heavy social media use can cause sleep loss, stress, and anxiety in teenagers.
Q2. What does 'hook' mean in 'hook users'?
Show answer
✅ make addicted
To 'hook' someone means to capture their interest so strongly that they cannot easily stop.
Q3. Why would a social media app mute notifications during school hours?
Show answer
✅ To help students focus
Silencing alerts during class helps stop distractions so students can pay attention to their lessons.
Dialogue 🎧
Alex: Did you see that Meta is paying seventeen billion dollars to settle those huge lawsuits?
Charlotte: Seventeen billion? That is a massive number.
Alex: State officials argued Meta purposely designed apps to hook young people.
Alex: Features like infinite scroll actually harmed teen mental health.
Charlotte: That explains why it feels impossible to put your phone down.
Charlotte: So what has to change now?
Alex: Major design changes for users under eighteen.
Alex: For starters, teen accounts will get a default daily two-hour limit across both apps.
Charlotte: Wait, can parents change that? Or is it totally locked?
Alex: Parents can adjust it, but the protections start turned on.
Alex: Plus, they will block app access between midnight and six a.m.
Charlotte: Midnight to six a.m.? Honestly, my sleep schedule needs that rule too.
Alex: Same! They will also mute notifications during school hours and hide like counts.
Charlotte: Oh, and did you see they are blocking cosmetic surgery filters too?
Charlotte: Those are so damaging.
Alex: Exactly.
Alex: Jim Steyer from Common Sense Media called this settlement a watershed moment for child safety.
Charlotte: That sounds huge. But who makes sure Meta actually follows through?
Alex: An independent auditor will check their compliance for five years.
Charlotte: Still, Meta denied any wrongdoing, right?
Alex: Right.
Alex: But they called on rivals like TikTok and YouTube to adopt the exact same rules.
Charlotte: Of course they did.
Charlotte: If social media is finally changing, everyone needs to be held accountable.