Australia cites Meta’s US settlement in call for stronger youth online protections

Canberra, Australia. Australian officials said Meta’s agreement with nearly all US states over alleged social media harm to teenagers shows platforms have tools to better protect young people online.

The comments came as Australia faces uneven enforcement of its restrictions on social media use by children.

Meta agreement in the United States

Meta agreed to pay up to $18 billion over a decade and limit how teenagers use Facebook and Instagram under an agreement with nearly all US states. The settlement resolves claims that the company designed the platforms to addict children.

Meta denied wrongdoing in agreeing to settle.

The agreement includes changes to Facebook and Instagram in the United States, including a default two-hour limit on the apps for users under 18.

Australian response

Communications Minister Anika Wells said social media companies had tools available to protect young people from addictive features but had chosen not to use them.

“That’s why Australia took world-leading action to create a minimum age for social media, and we are proud that more than 20 countries are joining us,” Wells said in an email to Reuters.

Australia introduced a ban on social media for children under 16 late last year, described as a world first.

International calls for wider measures

South Korea’s media regulator said some of Meta’s measures should apply to young users worldwide rather than only in specific markets.

It said improvements to features that may encourage excessive use or addiction, including algorithm-based content recommendations, the disclosure of engagement metrics such as likes, and push notifications, should ideally be applied globally for youth users.

Malaysia, which has barred people under 16 from registering social media accounts, said it welcomed the US decision as a sign that platforms must be held accountable for what takes place on their services.