A daily two-hour limit is coming for every Instagram and Facebook user under 18, one piece of a $17 billion settlement requiring Meta to introduce new protections for younger users. A settlement is a binding legal agreement that resolves claims by obligating one side to take specific actions, rather than letting a case run to a final court decision. A child safety expert who reviewed the new requirements said many of them are promising.
The two changes made public so far are concrete. Users under 18 will face a hard cap of two hours each day across Meta's platforms. The same group will also stop being able to see reactions on posts. Reactions are the visible tallies of likes and similar responses displayed below content. Instagram and Facebook are both covered because Meta owns both.
The settlement mandates these changes. That word carries real meaning: Meta is legally required to put them in place.
The safety expert's endorsement was careful. The expert reviewed a package of new safeguards for children and said many are promising. "Many" is not all. The source does not name the expert or specify which protections drew the strongest or weakest marks.
The settlement is described as major, and the $17 billion figure reflects its scale. What else it requires of Meta beyond these two publicly described measures has not been detailed.