KATHMANDU: Facebook’s parent company Meta has agreed to pay a total of $18 billion to US states to resolve lawsuits alleging social media addiction and mental health damage to children. Meta said on Wednesday that the settlement amount will be paid in annual installments over a period of 10 years.
A California court has approved the agreement. In which Meta will have to pay 48 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and three U.S. territories. This is Meta’s largest settlement to date in a case related to children’s online safety.
Under the agreement, Meta will also be required to implement a number of changes to protect children’s online safety. This includes setting a default daily social media use time limit and banning nighttime use. These changes were requested by U.S. states.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the change was a major step toward bringing about the law. “It aims to reform the social media industry that harms children,” he said. — Agency
