Meta announces new restrictions for users under 18 on Instagram and Facebook as part of an $18 billion settlement it reaches with 48 U.S. states. Reported changes include stricter age estimates to keep children under 13 off the platforms and provisions to place teens in age-appropriate accounts. Meta also adopts a daily use limit and new overnight protections.
Multiple outlets describe the changes as an advance compared with Meta’s prior policies, but also note that critics say they do not address all potential harms. The settlement includes how long Meta has to carry out the terms, with the payout spread over a decade, and requires steps such as hiding “like” counts. Critics and children’s advocates argue the measures are not a complete fix and point to broader risks that remain outside what the settlement covers, with some former insiders arguing Meta still has room to define what constitutes harm.
While the outlets largely converge on the specific rule changes—especially time limits and a midnight-to-6 a.m. cutoff—they differ in emphasis: one highlights how far the rules go, while others focus on what dangers may still persist despite the new safeguards.
