Well, that was quick. Not even a quarter of the way into an expected 19-day federal trial over Meta’s alleged failure to protect young users, the social media giant agreed to settle the case. The company has agreed to pay up to $16.7 billion to 51 US states and territories, and make substantive product changes for how teens engage with its platforms.
\n\nAttorneys general representing some of the 29 US states that had taken Meta to trial announced the deal on Wednesday, shortly before Instagram head Adam Mosseri was set to return to the witness stand. In a separate announcement detailing the settlement, Meta urged YouTube and TikTok to adopt similar changes to their platforms.
\n\nThe settlement is a stunning development; while other social media services including YouTube, Snapchat, and TikTok resolved similar lawsuits out of court, Meta has repeatedly chosen to go to trial. Earlier this year, it lost state trials in California and New Mexico, notching nearly $1 billion in penalties. The company’s first federal trial on the youth issues began last week and threatened to leave the company on the hook for what it estimated to be over $1 trillion in damages.
\n\n“Ensuring teens have a safe…
Original source: https://www.wired.com/
