Meta to limit children’s Instagram, Facebook use to two hours daily
Meta is set to introduce a two-hour daily limit on Instagram and Facebook use for children as part of a record $171 billion settlement with 29 states over allegations linked to social media addiction.
The measures, according to the company, are designed to reduce excessive social media use among children and strengthen protections for young users across Meta’s platforms.
Under the new rules, children will be subjected to mandatory “Productive Pauses” after 15 minutes of continuous use, with additional interruptions at 60 and 90 minutes to discourage prolonged scrolling.
Meta will also introduce “Nighttime Blocks”, restricting children’s access to Instagram and Facebook between midnight and 6 a.m.
During the school year, children’s access to the platforms will also be limited during school hours, with push notifications disabled on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.
The company is further expected to strengthen its age-assurance measures to better verify the ages of young users and ensure that children receive age-appropriate content and experiences.
The new safeguards will include stronger protections against bullying, content promoting eating disorders, and material relating to suicide and self-harm.
Meta will also enhance parental controls, making them more accessible and user-friendly to enable parents to better manage their children’s activities on the platforms.
The settlement will further place restrictions on social-comparison features that have been associated with negative mental health outcomes among children and teenagers.
These measures include limits on beauty filters and visible “like” counts, which can encourage comparison among young users.
The implementation and effectiveness of the new safeguards will be regularly assessed by an independent auditor and the settling states.
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