Originally published by Deseret News.
Meta’s recent $18 billion national settlement with 48 states should prompt action from other tech firms and lawmakers in Congress
Since the passage of the Utah App Store Accountability Act two years ago, other states have pushed similar measures to protect children’s online experiences. But nationwide change remained out of reach. Meta’s recent $18 billion national settlement with 48 states — and a slate of new protections for children on the platform — should prompt action from other tech firms and lawmakers in Congress.
These new protections prove that Big Tech can make minors’ experiences online safer.
Teens will be limited to two hours on Meta’s apps, restricted to night mode settings from midnight to 6 a.m., unable to receive notifications during school hours, have their likes hidden by default, and face restricted access to beauty filters. Parents will have the ability to disable algorithmic feeds and autoplay.
These changes are not minor — they will fundamentally change for the better the way children interact with these platforms and the time they spend with their content.
But children spend more time on YouTube and TikTok, which are not subject to the settlement, than they do on Meta’s Instagram and Facebook. For the 92% of children using YouTube, they can still get algorithmic feeds and unlimited access to content on YouTube the second their Instagram or Facebook account kicks them off.
The rest of the Big Tech industry — YouTube, Snapchat, and TikTok — has an opportunity to step up and mirror Meta’s changes. Meta recognizes this, and has promised to strengthen these protections if YouTube and TikTok join them.
