Meta has signed a comprehensive judicial agreement with over 40 American states, the District of Columbia, and several territories. This pact aims to conclude legal proceedings related to the mental health and safety of teenagers who use Instagram and Facebook. The agreement establishes operational modifications to the platforms and involves payments that could total up to US$ 17 billion (equivalent to about R$ 87.2 billion) over ten years.
In exchange for the agreement, the company will be required to implement new safeguards for users between 13 and 17 years old. These measures include imposing time limits, nighttime blocks, and changes in how content is displayed. Some of these new guidelines must come into effect within the next six months.
Considering that Meta generated a revenue of US$ 201 billion (approximately R$ 1.03 trillion) in the previous year, the company needs to restructure the experience offered to teenagers. Among the crucial changes is extending age verification periods up to one year, aiming to prevent access by those under 13 and identify teenagers who provided incorrect age data.
To carry out this check, Meta is developing a new predictive model. This system should analyze various pieces of information, such as user connections, who they follow, who follows them, and even specific interactions, like birthday messages. Age verification presents great complexity without the use of facial recognition, a technology Meta does not employ for this purpose. This difficulty sparked a debate with companies like Apple and Google regarding which entity should assume this responsibility.
Meanwhile, in Australia, Meta operates with age control technology to comply with legislation prohibiting social media use by those under 16, although teenagers continue to find ways to circumvent these restrictions.
Meta has also expressed a desire for its competitors to implement similar actions. Of the US$ 17 billion agreed upon (about R$ 87.2 billion), only US$ 5.3 billion (about R$ 27.2 billion) will be released if TikTok and YouTube agree to contribute the same amount and establish a standard one-hour limit.
Statements on the agreement
Rob Bonta, the California Attorney General who led the process, emphasized the magnitude of the agreement, stating that it represents the largest payment in a case of this nature. He stressed that the US$ 17 billion could be extremely beneficial in preventing and treating the mental health damage to children.
However, not everyone considers the agreement satisfactory. James Uthmeier, the Florida Attorney General, who was not part of the pact, is proceeding with an independent lawsuit against Meta. He specifically criticized the fact that some changes have five-year commitments and others have ten-year commitments, arguing that child protection cannot be a temporary measure.
The final agreement fell short of the US$ 200 billion (about R$ 1.03 trillion) initially sought by state attorneys general. Meta claims that teenagers represent less than 1% of its revenue. There is a risk that stricter restrictions could drive young people to rival platforms, weakening their bond with Instagram and Facebook when they reach adulthood, a period when they become more valuable for advertising.
The company still faces other lawsuits, as do its competitors in the sector. Therefore, the impact of the new regulations on Meta's business must be observed not only in current teenage usage but also in its ability to keep these young people within its ecosystem in the future.