Settlement agreement says Meta must make many safety and wellness features the default option for young users

Meta agreed on Wednesday to put safeguards and limits on teenagers’ social media accounts by default in the US.

The settlement agreement dictates Meta must make a number of pre-existing safety and wellness features the default option for young users, instead of requiring them to opt in.

The changes are part of an agreement that curtails a major trial in California and will require the social media company to pay up to $17bn. They represent the first time on its home turf that Meta has been forced to change key features of the experience of everyday users.

Rob Bonta, the California attorney general and a lead lawyer on the case, brought by 29 states in total, called the changes a “watershed” moment and said the default nature of the features will make it harder for young users to circumvent these guardrails.

The biggest alteration is that Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, is now required to make many of its safety limitations the default setting for accounts created by teens, a pivot from its previous opt-in approach to child safety. These settings cannot be changed without the permission of a supervising parent account that is linked to the teen account.

Although Meta has long touted tools like screen-time warnings as proof the company is committed to safety, the company has previously refrained from making such features the preset standard.

When teens first create an Instagram account, they will no longer see a personalized feed or likes on their posts unless a supervising parent changes the setting, for instance.

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