Location: United Kingdom
Meta, the company which manages Facebook and Instagram, is reported to have reached a $16.7bn settlement in a US trial in which it was accused of designing Facebook and Instagram to addict children, misleading consumers about their safety, and improperly collecting personal data of children who used its platforms.
As part of the settlement, it is reported to have agreed to make changes for teenage users of Facebook and Instagram across the United States, including limits to daily usage and usage at night.
Mark Rowland, Chief Executive at the Mental Health Foundation, said:
“We are pleased to see Meta making these changes in America, and now they must be implemented worldwide. There is significant and growing body of evidence showing how social media can harm people's mental health. Changes like introducing daily usage limits are the exact sort of improvements social media platforms need to introduce to reduce the risk of addictive behaviours developing among users. Other social media platforms that target young people, such as Tiktok and X, should also introduce these measures to protect users' mental health.”