Meta Platforms has called on rival social media companies to adopt new child safety measures following its recent settlement with more than three dozen U.S. states over allegations that its platforms harmed young users. The company unveiled a package of restrictions intended to limit youth exposure to potentially harmful content on Instagram and Facebook, and urged competitors such as TikTok and YouTube to implement similar safeguards.
The settlement, announced on Wednesday, comes after years of scrutiny over Meta’s handling of child safety issues. Lawsuits launched by state attorneys general and other plaintiffs alleged that Instagram and Facebook knowingly used features designed to "hook" children, despite public claims that their platforms were safe for youth. In March, both Meta and YouTube lost a personal injury case resulting in a $6 million judgment, and earlier this month a New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay nearly $1 billion in penalties for violations of consumer protection laws.
Under terms of the agreement, Meta will pay roughly $17 billion spread over a decade, a figure some experts describe as modest relative to the company's financial scale. Meta’s market value is about $1.45 trillion, and it recently reported $15.85 billion in quarterly profits. “$17 billion sounds like accountability, until you look at the numbers,” said clinical psychologist Lisa Strohman, founder of Digital Citizen Academy, which focuses on technology addiction. “Even the maximum settlement represents only about 8.5 percent of one year's revenue.”
Beyond the financial settlement, the company must introduce stricter age verification methods, establish daily time limits for young users and eliminate push notifications to children during school hours. These changes are aimed at reducing engagement among teenagers, a core demographic important to Meta’s advertising model. However, sources familiar with internal discussions at Meta expressed concerns that such restrictions could handicap the company’s ability to attract and retain young users if competitors remain unregulated.
Meta’s leadership is now attempting to position the company as a leader in child safety, calling for industry-wide adoption of the new standards. In a company blog post titled “An Open Letter to TikTok and YouTube to Join Us in Supporting Teens,” Meta urged its rivals to voluntarily implement the same rules. The company also purchased full-page advertisements in prominent newspapers, including The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, and The New York Times, describing the initiative as a move to “empower parents and support teens.”
Senators Marsha Blackburn, a Republican from Tennessee, and Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, issued a joint statement supporting a broad application of child safety rules. They emphasized that protections should extend to all social media companies, not solely Meta’s platforms.
Responses from YouTube and TikTok have been limited; YouTube declined to comment, and TikTok representatives did not respond to inquiries.
Critics remain skeptical of Meta’s motivations. Sacha Haworth, executive director of the Tech Oversight Project, described the campaign as “just another Meta P.R. campaign.” Similarly, advertising expert Henry Coan likened the company’s effort to a performative gesture reminiscent of public relations stunts, comparing it to a well-known television drama’s portrayal of a disingenuous corporate apology.
Meta’s settlement resolves one chapter in its ongoing legal challenges but highlights broader questions about how social media platforms balance user engagement with the duty to protect vulnerable populations online. Whether other major players will follow Meta’s lead remains uncertain.