The rules for children and teens using Facebook and Instagram late into the night are about to change. Meta's new plan will introduce several new safety changes for underage users.
Meta's new plan for Facebook-Instagram
In the world of social media, using Facebook and Instagram for children will no longer be the same. Meta has been accused of using features that make children and teenagers addicted to social media. The company has agreed to a major settlement in the US regarding this matter, under which Meta could pay up to $17 billion. Additionally, the company is making several significant changes to its platforms for minor users.
This new plan includes changes such as a default daily usage limit for users under 18, blocking access to apps at night, and muting notifications during school hours. Age verification and parental controls will also be strengthened. However, Meta has not admitted any wrongdoing or legal responsibility in this agreement. So, let us explain what Meta's new plan for children entails.
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Meta will pay billions of dollars
Meta could pay up to $17.1 billion to settle a case involving children's online safety. However, the company has not admitted any wrongdoing or legal responsibility. The settlement is still pending final court approval. In this case, Meta was accused of creating features that encouraged children and teenagers to use Facebook and Instagram more. The company has denied these allegations and stated that a safe online experience for teenagers is its priority.
What is Meta's new plan for children?
Under Meta's new plan, Facebook and Instagram combined will have a default time limit of 2 hours per day for users under 18. Parental permission will be required to remove this limit. Furthermore, time spent on both platforms will count towards this total limit.
Access will be closed from 12 midnight to 6 am.
To reduce children's night time social media use, Facebook and Instagram will be blocked from 12:00 AM to 6:00 AM. Notifications are also being reduced during school hours. Notifications will be muted by default from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM. However, direct messages and important security alerts will continue to be received. Reminders to take breaks will also be displayed for persistent app use.
Age verification and parental controls will be stronger.
Meta will use more rigorous age verification technology. Parental controls will be simplified. Additional safeguards will also be implemented to protect children from harmful content. Like and reaction counts will be removed from minors' posts, and some beauty filters will be limited.
