Meta may pay up to $18 billion after US states accused it of harming young users and misleading the public about the risks of its platforms
Platforms would have to verify users’ ages, with independent audits to ensure teenagers are not wrongly classified as adults
Teen users could face daily time caps, enforced breaks, overnight blocks and muted notifications, with parents able to adjust the defaults
Autoplay and appearance-enhancing filters would be restricted, while “like” counts could be hidden to reduce pressures linked to social media use
Teens could choose chronological feeds instead of algorithmically curated ones, challenging the engagement model that keeps users scrolling
If other platforms adopt similar rules, social media could face a fundamental shift from maximising engagement towards safer design and new revenue models