Reuters

Meta reaches $16.68 billion settlement over social media harms to children

USA Today

Meta reaches $16.68B settlement over social media harms to children

BBC News

Meta agrees to pay up to $16.68bn to settle social media case

Forbes

Meta Agrees To $16.68 Billion Settlement In Social Media Addiction Trial

Investing

Meta to pay $18 billion in mass social media settlement

Financial Times

Meta to pay up to $16.7bn to settle children’s social media harm case

Online Child Protection

HayekMG

nicksortor

Variety

The Wall Street Journal

Meta Reaches 18 Billion Settlement With 48 States Over Child Safety Claims Cf725A2B

The Telegraph

Meta Agrees To Pay 17Bn To Settle Child Safety Lawsuit

geraldposner

liangbuilds

Kentuckygirl1

Metaculus

Eu Age Verification On Social Mediaai In 2026

Eileen Guo

Zarema Jaramillo

Chase White

Molly Liebergall

Newsweek

William Kovacic

Laila Maidan

Mario Nawfal

"There is very little chance that FB is required to be broken up, as we expect the FTC to lose the case."

"If the FTC is successful, Meta may be forced to divest two of its largest brands."

"If Meta is found guilty of violating antitrust laws, it could be forced to divest its subsidiaries or restructure the business."

The antitrust lawsuit against Facebook "could force it to sell off Instagram and WhatsApp."

"Meta could be forced to sell off IG and WhatsApp if the FTC wins the trial."

"Mark Zuckerberg might have to kiss Instagram and WhatsApp goodbye."

Will Meta Be Broken Up?

Anthony Albanese

9News Australia

Terry Flew

Australian Human Rights Commission

Aaron Mackey

Joanne Orlando

Melissa McIntosh

Damini Satija

Julie Inman Grant

Timothy Koskie

"They took the easy option, and it will fail."

“New accounts are being created and the age-verification tools that the government assured Australians would be effective, have proven laughably easy to bypass with some makeup and good lighting.”

“Tech-savvy teens simply use VPNs, fake birth photos for face scans, or migrate to less regulated platforms like Lemon8, or to platforms not part of the ban like video games. Enforcement is proving to be difficult in the days leading up to the ban.”

"Some verification methods are often inaccurate while others are easily circumvented.”

"Technological workarounds – such as VPNs and false age declarations – may undermine the effectiveness of the ban."

"This law will also push many users toward platforms that are more personal and private, like Telegram channels, WhatsApp Communities, and Signal Groups, which are not currently banned because they are important tools for encrypted and direct communication."

David Inserra

“Ultimately, reducing online harm would be a great outcome; however, we know from evidence that ‘banning’ anything from young people won’t work on its own.”

Louise La Sala

“There’s a fair amount of teething problems around it. Many young people have been posting on TikTok that they successfully evaded the age limitations and that’s to be expected.”

"I think it will help a lot of parents because it's not them saying no, it's an actual law."

Cassie Xintavelonis

“We don’t expect safety laws to eliminate every single breach. If we did, speed limits would have failed because people speed, drinking limits would have failed because, believe it or not, some kids do get access to alcohol.”

“The fact that teenagers occasionally find a way to have a drink doesn’t diminish the value of having a clear national standard.”

"Just as the banning of phones in school classrooms by many state governments hasn't on day one led to perfect compliance, now it's just accepted that there are improved educational outcomes, improved behaviour, improved social outcomes as a result."

"Australia's social media ban is already driving change, and is proof that the threat of regulation works, even before the law takes effect. Waiting for perfect policy risks paralysis when real progress is already within reach.”

Will Australia's Under 16 Social Media Ban be Effective?

A federal trial is underway in Oakland, California, in which 29 U.S. states accuse Meta of deliberately designing Instagram and Facebook to be addictive to young users, contributing to anxiety, depression and suicide. The states could seek nearly $200 billion in civil penalties.

Guardian

The Straits Times

A federal trial is underway in Oakland, California, in which 29 U.S. states accuse Meta of deliberately designing Instagram and Facebook to be addictive to young users, contributing to anxiety, depression and suicide. The states could seek nearly $200 billion in civil penalties.

Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri acknowledged in court that only 1.8% of teenagers had signed up for the platform's "Take a Break" feature before it was made the default setting for teen accounts in September 2024, nearly three years after its 2021 launch.

Anadolu Agency

Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri acknowledged in court that only 1.8% of teenagers had signed up for the platform's "Take a Break" feature before it was made the default setting for teen accounts in September 2024, nearly three years after its 2021 launch.

Mosseri denied that Meta stalled on making the "Take a Break" feature a default setting and rejected allegations that the company concealed negative information, telling the court, "I am not trying to encourage my team to hide anything."

ABC Australia

Mosseri denied that Meta stalled on making the "Take a Break" feature a default setting and rejected allegations that the company concealed negative information, telling the court, "I am not trying to encourage my team to hide anything."

Former Instagram data scientist George Volichenko testified that at times just 0.16% of teenagers used the "Take a Break" feature and then left the app. He also said he was told the safety team existed primarily to protect the company against anticipated lawsuits.

FOX Illinois

Former Instagram data scientist George Volichenko testified that at times just 0.16% of teenagers used the "Take a Break" feature and then left the app. He also said he was told the safety team existed primarily to protect the company against anticipated lawsuits.

Instagram's director of product design, Francesco Fogu, acknowledged in court the removal of a slide from a 2023 internal presentation showing teenage users encountered bullying, suicide, hate, nudity and violent content 1.5 times more often than adult users.

Instagram's director of product design, Francesco Fogu, acknowledged in court the removal of a slide from a 2023 internal presentation showing teenage users encountered bullying, suicide, hate, nudity and violent content 1.5 times more often than adult users.

Bloomberg News reported that Meta and state attorneys general discussed a potential mid-trial settlement, with several attorneys general scheduling press conferences to announce "a major consumer protection settlement involving a leading technology company." The trial is expected to run through September, with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg among those scheduled to testify.

Bloomberg News reported that Meta and state attorneys general discussed a potential mid-trial settlement, with several attorneys general scheduling press conferences to announce "a major consumer protection settlement involving a leading technology company." The trial is expected to run through September, with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg among those scheduled to testify.

Instagram CEO denies company hid low use of teen safety feature in Meta trial

Instagram CEO denies company hid low use of teen safety feature in Meta trial

The Controversies

White

Newsweek

Maidan

Guo

Nawfal

Australia

McIntosh

Orlando

Mackey

Commission

Inserra

Sala

Flew

Xintavelonis

Grant

Albanese

Albanese

Koskie

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Instagram CEO denies company hid low use of teen safety feature in Meta trial

Instagram CEO denies company hid low use of teen safety feature in Meta trial

The Controversies

White

Newsweek

Maidan

Guo

Nawfal

Australia

McIntosh

Orlando

Mackey

Commission

Inserra

Sala

Flew

Xintavelonis

Grant

Albanese

Albanese

Koskie

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