Summarised by Centrist
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle say Meta’s US$17 billion child-harm settlement exposes a deeper problem with attempts to regulate social media giants: companies can afford enormous payouts without fundamentally threatening their business model.
Meta has agreed to settle claims brought by 47 US states accusing it of designing Instagram features that are addictive to children and teenagers and potentially harmful to their mental health.
The settlement ends a federal trial that began last week and was expected to see Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg testify before a jury.
Harry and Meghan, who have campaigned on online child safety, welcomed the protections included in the agreement but argued Meta had effectively paid to avoid a court judgment that could have imposed greater accountability.
They accused the company of operating a “data-extraction business model” on children and other users, saying Meta has “more than the means to pay this settlement”. They cited estimates that the company could earn the equivalent of the entire payout in profit in roughly 30 days.
“Meta has paid to avoid yet another trial outcome that would force it into accountability,” the couple said.
Under the proposed settlement, Meta will introduce additional restrictions for under-18s on Instagram and Facebook, including blocking notifications between midnight and 6am, muting notifications during school hours, hiding like and reaction counts by default, restricting extreme makeup filters and strengthening systems intended to stop children creating underage accounts.
The measures are subject to court approval and apply only in participating US states, not worldwide.
The US$17 billion payout will also be spread over ten years. Around 30 per cent is conditional on TikTok and YouTube paying comparable sums and introducing measures including one-hour daily limits, night-time restrictions and age-assurance systems.
Re-published from the Centrist with permission
