Ohio to Receive $319m as Meta Agrees to New Child-Safety Measures
A proposed $17.1 billion multistate settlement with Meta is expected to bring over $319 million to Ohio over the next 10 years, and the state will also receive new protections for children and teens on Facebook and Instagram.
The settlement comes after lawsuits brought by dozens of states in 2023 that said Meta was not doing enough to keep young users safe and that it used features on its platforms to keep children and teens on longer.
The proposed agreement would cap the time children spend on Facebook and Instagram at two hours a day, with breaks after 15 minutes and at 60 and 90 minutes.
The measures would also limit access between midnight and 6 a.m., and prohibit push notifications on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. during the school year.
Other measures suggested to protect children and young people include better age verification, more parental control and more restrictions on content that includes bullying and harmful behaviours such as eating disorders, suicide and self-harm.
The deal would also eliminate certain social-comparison elements, such as beauty filters and the number of “likes” visible on the profile.
The settlement is still pending court approval. Online platforms that serve children are responsible for keeping children safe online, said Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson.
