How Facebook and Instagram will change after Meta's $18B settlement - and where the money is going

NurPhoto / Contributor via Getty Images

Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.

ZDNET's key takeaways

• Meta has settled a lawsuit surrounding teen social media use.
• The settlement brings big changes and an $18 billion penalty.
• That money will go to child online safety programs.

Meta has announced that it agreed to a settlement in a landmark child safety lawsuit, and sweeping changes are coming to Facebook and Instagram as a result -- plus $18 billion in funding for online safety initiatives, youth mental health, and other programs.

The lawsuit, which alleges the tech company purposefully designed Facebook and Instagram to be addictive to minors, misled the public about how safe the platforms were, and illegally harvested private data from teen users, was brought by a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general from nearly every US state.

This suit was filed in 2023.

Also: How to delete Facebook, Messenger, or Instagram - if you want Meta out of your life

Meta maintains it did nothing wrong but is settling the case to avoid legal proceedings. This settlement involves large-scale changes to the company's social media platforms (all designed with young users' mental health and online safety in mind) and a significant financial penalty.

Here's a look at what's going to be different and where that money is going.

What's changing on Facebook and Instagram

A hard daily limit

Meta will now enforce a hard limit of two hours a day for users under 18 -- across both Facebook and Instagram combined and across multiple accounts. This setting is on by default, but parents can override it.

Nighttime hour blocks

Teen accounts will not be able to access Meta apps at all between midnight and 6 a.m., regardless of how much time teens have otherwise spent on the platforms. This setting can only be turned off by a parent.

Also: Meta's new AI tool lets others use your Instagram posts for image generation - how to opt out

Hidden likes and reaction numbers

By default, teens will not see the number of likes and reactions on their own posts or posts from others.

Muted push notifications

There's now a much smaller window when push notifications will come through to a teen account. Push notifications will be silenced from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. and during school hours from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. During those hours, Meta says the only alerts that will come through are direct messages and alerts about account security or safety.

Also: Is Facebook adding Gen Z phrases to your shared posts? You're not alone, bestie. Here's what's happening

Awareness prompts

To encourage "intentional use,"teens will get prompts after every 15 minutes of continuous screen time on Meta apps and when their total daily usage hits 60 minutes and 90 minutes.

An option to boot the algorithm

Teen accounts will have the option for an old-school, nonalgorithmic feed that's not personalized by a recommendation system. Parents can choose to adjust their teen's account to require this setting.

Autoplay control

Teens can now turn off autoplay, meaning they have to deliberately tap or swipe to see more. Parents can choose to require this.

Blocking unrealistic filters

Filters that mimic cosmetic surgery and extreme makeup will not be available on teen accounts.

Also: This ad-free Facebook app made my feed enjoyable again for the first time in years

Making it harder for adults and teens to interact

Meta says it's keeping the default setting that makes teen accounts private on Facebook and Instagram and restricts suspicious adults from contacting teens. It will also be harder for those adults to find, follow, and interact with teens.

In addition to all of these changes, Meta says it's keeping the current content standards, meaning accounts belonging to users ages 13 to 18 will not be allowed to see certain things. Teens will not be able to follow or interact with accounts that Meta deems age-inappropriate.

Also: Is Instagram Map showing your location? How to check and turn it off ASAP

All of these changes are required to remain in place for 10 years, Meta explained, except Time Limit and Night Mode, which each have a five-year commitment. If other companies sign on, though, Meta will extend those commitments to 10 years.

Where the $18 billion is going

Along with the changes to its social media platforms, Meta is paying $18 billion. Participating states (every state except Texas, Florida, and Kentucky, which have all filed litigation separately) will get 70% of that money, spread out over a 10-year window. This funding will go to programs dedicated to educating children about internet safety and keeping children safe online.

Also: Why we're all posting less on social media these days

Meta is pressuring its peers to get involved as well. The last 30% of that money (just over $5 billion) will go to states only if YouTube and TikTok implement child safety measures and commit the same amount of money to similar programs.