Agreement would impose time limits, nighttime restrictions and other safeguards on teen Facebook and Instagram accounts
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma is guaranteed more than $235 million under a multistate settlement requiring Meta to change how Facebook and Instagram operate for children and teenagers.
Attorney General Gentner Drummond announced the agreement Wednesday, calling it a major victory for children’s online safety. The overall settlement has a potential value of more than $17 billion, although part of that amount depends on similar action involving other major social media platforms.
The agreement resolves claims that Meta designed Instagram with addictive features, exposed young users to serious mental health risks and misled the public about the safety of its platforms. Meta did not admit wrongdoing or liability.
“This settlement is a monumental victory for the protection of our children, and it will fundamentally transform how the social media industry designs platforms for kids and teens,” Drummond said. “This agreement holds Meta accountable and sends a clear message that protecting children online is mandatory.”
House Speaker Kyle Hilbert also praised the settlement, connecting it to the Legislature’s decision this year to ban student cellphone use during the school day.
“Children deserve reasonable guardrails around technology, and parents and educators deserve the tools to help provide them,” Hilbert said. “I commend Attorney General Drummond for holding Meta accountable and pursuing reforms that will make online platforms safer for Oklahoma’s kids.”
What Oklahoma would receive
Oklahoma’s guaranteed share totals about $235.6 million. That includes 10 payments of nearly $22.9 million and approximately $7 million from the settlement of claims involving Meta’s sharing of Facebook user information with third parties, including Cambridge Analytica.
The state’s total could rise to about $334.1 million if Snap, TikTok and YouTube become subject to comparable safety requirements and monetary obligations.
Under the agreement, Oklahoma’s money may be used for future consumer protection enforcement, consumer education, monitoring of Meta’s compliance and attorneys’ fees and litigation costs. The agreement gives the attorney general discretion over the money within the limits of state law.
Changes for teen accounts
Most of the new requirements would take effect within six months after the agreement receives court approval. The agreement runs for 10 years, although some of its time-management requirements initially apply for five years.
Meta would be required to strengthen its methods for identifying the ages of users and removing accounts belonging to children younger than 13. Teen accounts would be subject to a default two-hour daily limit across Meta platforms, although time spent messaging or watching longer-form content would not count toward the limit. A parent could approve a less restrictive setting.
Teen users also would be blocked by default from most Facebook and Instagram features between midnight and 6 a.m. Messaging would remain available, but push notifications would be disabled between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.
During school hours, generally 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays, Meta would turn off most push notifications. Parents could choose to restrict their child’s access to most other platform features during those hours.
The agreement also requires notices after 15 minutes of continuous use and more prominent pauses after 60 and 90 minutes. Teen users would no longer see the number of likes or reactions by default and would be prohibited from applying filters that simulate cosmetic procedures.
Other provisions call for stronger controls over bullying, eating-disorder content, suicide and self-harm material, along with more information and account controls for parents. An independent auditor would review Meta’s compliance and publish summaries of its findings.
Drummond sued Meta in October 2023. The settlement remains subject to court approval.
