META TO PAY UP TO $17BN TO END TEEN ADDICTION TRIAL

🚨 Meta has agreed to pay up to $17bn to settle the teen addiction case brought by US states, according to Guardian Business.

The jury trial in federal court in Oakland, California, opened with statements only last week. A court filing released Wednesday ended it.

California and 28 other states sued the $1.36tn company, alleging it designed addictive products that harmed children. The states also claimed Meta routinely collected data on children under 13 without parental permission, in breach of federal and state law.

Meta denies wrongdoing. Throughout the case it said the states were chasing an "outlandish payout", and a spokesperson said its safety teams strive to be industry-leading.

‼️ The bigger shift may not be the money. The Guardian reports this is the first time Meta has been forced to change how its platforms function. California attorney general Rob Bonta said the agreed changes include daily usage limits, no notifications during school hours, a block on the app during overnight hours and a ban on plastic surgery filters, delivered within months.

📉 Meta still faces thousands of similar US suits from families, school districts and other attorneys general. It lost the first two to reach trial in March: nearly $1bn to New Mexico over child sexual exploitation on its platforms, and more than $4m to one young woman after being found liable for deliberately designing addictive products.

Would a nighttime block on Instagram have changed anything for the teenagers you know?

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