The Meta Settlement Will Put Limits on Instagram for Teens. They’re Still Vulnerable

Advocates for children tell WIRED that Meta’s legal settlement to address concerns about teenagers’ use of social media proposes important and overdue feature changes that invite more parental oversight than ever before. They also, though, say it puts a significant burden on caregivers and unreliable age-assessment systems. Rather than go through a lengthy federal civil trial—and possible appeals process—in Northern California over the next five weeks, Meta instead on Wednesday agreed to a proposed settlement with a group of state attorneys general, who were suing the social media company for alleged harms against kids on its apps. The settlement includes a payout of up to $16.7 billion overall to states and significant changes to the way Instagram and Facebook work for teen users. US district judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers approved the settlement on Wednesday. The settlement fee, paid out in yearly…