You’ve likely heard about the $17 billion multi-state settlement that tech giant Meta is going to pay out. But do you know why the Facebook and Instagram creators were sued to begin with? Or where that capital B bankroll of cash is going? Or for that matter, have you been told what is a part of this landmark suit and how it might change social media?
Well, let’s dig in and find out, shall we?
Why?
Meta was sued by dozens of states and individual plaintiffs over the very things that parents have been grumbling about for years now. For one thing, substantial evidence started piling up, demonstrating that not only did Meta know that their social platforms were “potentially” addictive for users young and old, but they designed them for that very purpose.
In other words, they fashioned their sites with things like infinite scrolling mechanics, intermittent variable reward loops, push notifications and algorithmic elements—things that exploit addictive reward systems like the combination of an all-night gaming binge with a case of Red Bull and a carton of cigarettes. It draws adults and kids in and does everything possible to keep them in.
On top of that, Meta whistleblowers also stated that the company unlawfully collected data from children under 13 without parental consent, and it failed to protect young users from online predators and harmful content focusing on things such as eating disorders and self-harm.
In the end Meta didn’t admit to any of that! But it did suggest that yeah, mayyybe it could do a little better to protect children and other users, too. So it agreed to fork over $17 billion and declared it would make some substantial changes to Meta properties over the next year.
Where?
So, since Meta has kinda-sorta acknowledged that it might be a teeny, tiny bit at fault for letting kids pour into its platforms—devising ways to suck cash from them and ultimately exposing them to harmful things of one stripe or another—does that mean that teen users and their families can soon expect checks drawn from that $17 billion pot?
Nope.
The money will actually be divided among 51 state and territory treasuries to be used for youth counseling, digital wellness programs, public health awareness programs and the like.
What?
Since you’re not getting any of the cash, exactly what sort of adjustments has Meta promised to make for the sake of your family? One of the big ones is a much stricter age-verification process to keep kids off its platforms (since anyone under 13 isn’t supposed to even use this stuff) and better identify teens who have a tendency to stretch the truth about their birthday.
“Yeah, sure, I’m 18, mister,” won’t be good enough any longer; no more “honor system” signups. Third-party verification will be part of the process. And after that, AI will be assigned to not only estimate the age of users but regularly audit user accounts (and friend’s accounts) for any digital breadcrumbs that would lead to a user’s true age.
After the verification process, specific limitations are then put in place by default for anyone in the under-18 camp:
- Daily app use will be limited to two hours a day.
- Access will be completely blocked for teens between midnight and 6 a.m.
- Content notification alerts will be muted during school hours.
- On the mental health front, teen users will also have “likes” hidden, any cosmetic filters will be disabled, and parents will gain the option to control autoplay of videos as well as select a non-algorithmic feed.
That leads us to the Big question …
Will these Meta-promised changes subsequently cause social media to recalibrate? Perhaps.
The fact is that any time an industry is held to account to the tune of billions of dollars for poor choices or for products that hurt its users, the more the industry at large tends to sit up and consider their own choices … and wallets!
On that front, Meta added a stipulation in its massive settlement agreement that $5 billion of its payout would only be paid afterits competitors were forced, by the same state attorneys, to institute the exact limitations that Meta now has to incorporate. (Meta doesn’t want TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat or anyone else to have any kid-addicting advantages, don’tcha know.) So maybe some positive changes will be forced down social media’s collective throat whether it wants them or not.
For that matter, a lot of people have been comparing the Meta settlement with the Tobacco Master Settlement of the late ‘90s. There are some obvious differences between tobacco and social media, of course, but one big similarity is that both industries targeted kids because, well, young people are the future. Snag ‘em young, keep ‘em till they’re old.
And one of the positive outcomes of that old tobacco payout was that it made the public slow down long enough to think about some things that they’d taken for granted. They began to consider what was healthy and how to protect their children more effectively. And that was a major tipping point of our cultural shift away from having an obligatory cig at the ready.
So, is this Meta case a difference maker like that? Are good things just around the corner? We’ll have to wait and see.
Call me Uncle Cynical, but I don’t particularly trust any social media company or state government when it comes to the welfare of kids. I don’t believe any of those budget-focused entities spend evenings praying for or worrying about your tweens and teens.
But you do.
You’re the one who keeps an ear to the ground and an eye on your loved ones. You’re the one who shares hard-earned wisdom and loving understanding. You sit around the kitchen table and talk, reason, listen. Your hand is open and ready to help.
And personally, I believe that’s the difference maker.
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