Following a multibillion-dollar settlement with state attorneys general, Meta has agreed to significant changes to how children and teens can use Instagram and Facebook. The agreement introduces new limits on screen time, overnight access and notifications for users under 18.
It also expands parental controls, age-assurance measures and restrictions on features that states alleged could contribute to compulsive social media use and other harms among young people.
For parents, the changes could mean more control over when and how their children use Meta’s platforms.
Why Is Meta Changing Its Policies for Teens?
The changes stem from social media addiction lawsuits brought by attorneys general across the country over Meta's operation of Instagram and Facebook. The states alleged that Meta:
- Designed features that encouraged excessive use of its platforms among children and teens.
- Failed to adequately disclose potential risks associated with those features.
- Collected and used data belonging to children under 13 in violation of federal and state laws.
Meta agreed to the settlement without admitting the states' allegations. Under the agreement, the company will pay approximately $18 billion over 10 years, although roughly $5.3 billion is contingent on TikTok and YouTube adopting certain comparable protections and making payments of their own.
The financial settlement is significant, but the changes to Facebook and Instagram could have a more immediate impact on families.
What Is Changing on Instagram and Facebook for Teens?
The settlement establishes several protections for users under 18. Some build on Meta's existing Teen Accounts, while others impose additional restrictions on how and when young people can use Facebook and Instagram.
Two-Hour Daily Time Limit
Users under 18 will have a default two-hour daily limit across Facebook and Instagram combined. That does not mean a teen receives two hours on each platform. Time spent scrolling on either app counts toward the same two-hour total.
Meta has also said it will attempt to account for multiple accounts belonging to the same user. Teens will receive prompts after every 15 minutes of continuous use, along with notifications when they reach 60 and 90 minutes of total daily use. A parent can authorize changes to the default time restriction.
Overnight Access Will Be Restricted
Meta's new Night Mode will block users under 18 from most Facebook and Instagram features between midnight and 6 a.m. During those hours, teens will not be able to browse features such as Feed, Stories, Explore or Reels.
Direct messaging is excluded from the restriction so that teens can continue communicating with friends and family. Parents will have the ability to change the restriction.
Notifications Will Be Muted During School
Meta will also limit interruptions during the school day. Under School Mode, push notifications will be muted by default between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. from Aug. 15 through June 15. Direct messages and certain account security or safety alerts are exceptions.
The settlement separately requires default notification restrictions overnight and during school hours.
Like Counts Will Be Hidden
Teens will no longer see the number of likes and reactions on their own posts or posts from other users by default. This provision addresses concerns about social comparison and the effect that visible engagement metrics may have on young users.
Similar design features were also examined in separate litigation involving Meta’s platforms in New Mexico.
Certain Beauty Filters Will Be Restricted
Meta already restricted cosmetic surgery filters for teens. Under the new agreement, the company will also block users under 18 from using extreme makeup filters.
These restrictions are intended to reduce young users' exposure to features that can alter their appearance in significant ways.
Teens Can Choose a Non-Algorithmic Feed
Teens will have the option to make a non-personalized feed their default experience. Instead of relying on Meta's recommendation systems to continually select content based on a user's activity, the option gives teens greater control over how content is presented.
Parents can also require the non-personalized setting for a supervised account. Teens will also have the option to disable autoplay so videos do not automatically start playing.
Meta Will Strengthen Age-Assurance Measures
Restrictions designed for children and teens only work if a platform accurately identifies their ages, so the settlement also requires Meta to strengthen its age-assurance technology.
Meta says it will use technology to identify accounts that may belong to children under 13, who are generally prohibited from using Facebook and Instagram, and accounts belonging to teens who entered an adult birth date.
The agreement also establishes independent oversight of Meta's compliance. An auditor will assess whether the company is implementing the required protections and report on compliance to participating states.
What New Controls Will Parents Have?
The settlement goes beyond automatic restrictions by expanding the information and controls available to parents supervising teen accounts. Meta says parents will receive additional tools and notifications, including information about a teen's usage and attempted changes to protective settings.
The agreement also requires Meta to provide teens with an enhanced way to report potentially harmful content. Meta must respond to 90% of those reports within six hours.
Parents may also receive alerts when a teen links another account or interacts with an account Meta identifies as potentially suspicious. Many of the default restrictions can only be changed with parental permission.
That distinction is important. Instead of requiring parents to discover and activate every available safety setting themselves, several of the protections will be enabled automatically for users identified as minors.
Could the Restrictions Become Even Stronger?
Yes. One unusual part of the settlement is that some requirements could become stricter if other major social media platforms adopt similar protections. If TikTok and YouTube agree to specified terms:
- Meta's default daily limit would fall from two hours to one hour per app
- Night Mode would expand from midnight-6 a.m. to 10 p.m.-7 a.m.
Meta's Time Limit and Night Mode commitments initially run for five years. If the other major platforms join the agreement, those commitments would extend to 10 years and the stronger restrictions would take effect.
Meta has publicly called on TikTok and YouTube to adopt the framework. As of mid-September, however, those companies have not publicly joined Meta's agreement.
What Does the Meta Settlement Mean for Parents?
The agreement represents a significant change in how Meta approaches younger users. Parents should still review their children's account settings and talk with them about the connection between social media and mental health, since automatic restrictions cannot prevent every potentially harmful interaction or piece of content.
However, the new policies place more responsibility on Meta to identify younger users, apply age-appropriate restrictions and give parents greater control over their children's experiences on Facebook and Instagram.
The settlement could also have implications beyond Meta. Some of its restrictions would become stronger if TikTok and YouTube adopt similar protections, making the agreement a potential framework for broader changes in how major social media platforms approach child and teen safety.
If your child or teen has experienced serious harm that may be connected to social media use, The Carlson Law Firm can help you understand your legal options. Speaking with an attorney can help evaluate claims involving social media platforms and how they may have harmed young users.
