Meta Platforms agreed to an $18bn settlement with US states and territories over social media's impact on minors' mental health. While the deal includes changes like disabling extreme make-up filters, adding screen-time prompts, hiding like counts, and muting notifications during school hours, critics say it falls short. The payout, spread over 10 years, discounts to roughly $8bn today — a small fraction for a $1.5tn company.

Key safeguards such as two-hour daily time caps can be overridden by parents, and chronological feeds require opt-in. Notably, $5.3bn of the payment and stricter limits only trigger if rivals Tik Tok and You Tube accept similar terms, and caps expire after five years. The settlement reflects compromise over protection: Meta avoids court scrutiny, while state attorneys-general seek quick wins.

California and New York pursue tougher laws, but US federal regulation remains unlikely. Unlike Wall Street's post-crisis regulatory regime, social media lacks consistent safeguards. The article argues that payouts and compromises cannot replace systemic regulation to protect children from addiction and harm.