Meta Paid $17B – Gets to Write Safety Rules for Other SocMedia Platform

Meta settled a lawsuit with 52 state and local Attorneys General over child safety concerns, agreeing to pay between $12.7-18 billion and implement new safety features on its platforms while encouraging YouTube and TikTok to do the same. However, critics including the EFF and Fight for the Future warn the settlement is problematic because it requires invasive age verification and data collection that could compromise user privacy and enable government surveillance for purposes beyond child safety.