Meta to tighten Facebook, Instagram rules for U-18s

Meta is set to introduce major changes to Facebook and Instagram for users under 18 as part of an $18 billion settlement with 48 US states aimed at making social media safer for children and teenagers.

Under the new measures, users under 18 will be allowed to spend a maximum of two hours a day on Facebook and Instagram. Access will also be restricted between midnight and 6:00am.

To reduce social comparison, likes and reactions will be hidden from young users. Beauty filters that alter users’ appearance will be disabled by default, while changes to these settings will require parental consent.

Meta will also reduce distractions during school hours. Most push notifications to teenage users will be disabled between 8:00am and 3:00pm.

Parents or designated adults will receive broader monitoring and control over children’s accounts. They will be able to see how much time their children spend on the platforms, who they communicate with and who sends them messages. Parents will also receive daily notifications when a teenager sends a message to an adult account for the first time.

Meta plans to strengthen age verification by using both its own and third-party technologies, with independent reviews of their effectiveness.

The company has not admitted wrongdoing but has agreed to pay up to $16.7 billion over 10 years under the settlement. California could receive around $2.2 billion and New York $1.1 billion, while Texas has separately reached a settlement worth more than $1 billion.

The measures will initially apply only to US users. Experts, however, warn that time limits alone may not address risks linked to infinite scrolling, disappearing messages, livestreaming, gifting features and AI-powered chatbots.

The changes are expected to be implemented gradually after court approval, with major age-verification reforms planned within a year.