PASCACK VALLEY—Teenagers using Instagram and Facebook will face new time limits, overnight restrictions and other safety measures under a multistate settlement co-led by New Jersey.
The court-approved agreement resolves government claims that Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, designed features that encouraged excessive use by children and teenagers, harmed their mental and physical health and misled families about the platforms’ risks.
The settlement involves 47 states, the District of Columbia and three U.S. territories. New Jersey began co-leading the bipartisan investigation in 2021 and was one of four states presenting the case at a federal trial in Oakland, California, when the agreement was reached.
Meta will pay the participating governments at least $12.1 billion over 10 years. The total could rise to $17.1 billion if other major social media companies enter comparable settlements.
New Jersey will receive at least $525 million and could receive more than $752 million.
“As a parent, protecting your kids is always your North Star,” New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said in announcing the settlement. “And this agreement achieves critical protections for our children today.”
The agreement requires several changes for Instagram and Facebook users younger than 18.
The measures include a default limit of two hours of combined daily use across the two platforms. Teenagers will need parental permission to disable the limit. Direct-messaging features will remain available.
Users will receive prompts after every 15 minutes of continuous use and additional interruptions after their combined daily use reaches 60 and 90 minutes.
A nighttime mode will block access to feeds, stories, reels and other nonmessaging features from midnight to 6 a.m. Push notifications will be muted by default from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays during the school year, with exceptions for direct messages and account security or safety alerts.
Meta also must strengthen its methods for identifying users’ ages and keeping children younger than 13 off the platforms. Other provisions call for easier-to-use parental controls, stronger protections against bullying and content involving eating disorders, suicide or self-harm, and restrictions on social-comparison features such as visible “like” counts and certain beauty filters.
Teenagers will be able to choose a chronological feed rather than one selected by Meta’s recommendation algorithms, but that setting will not be the default. Independent auditors will review the company’s compliance and the effectiveness of the safeguards.
Meta has said the protections build on its existing safety programs and has called on companies including TikTok and YouTube to accept comparable restrictions.
The lawsuit, filed in 2023, alleged that Meta used design features to keep children and teenagers on its platforms for longer periods, including during school hours and late at night. It also accused the company of collecting personal information from children younger than 13 without parental consent.
The agreement resolves the participating governments’ claims against Meta. It does not end separate lawsuits brought by individuals and school districts.
Local view
Jennifer Charnow, an independent mental health programming coordinator from Woodcliff Lake, said the agreement addresses issues the Hills Valley Coalition has highlighted through its community education work.
Charnow is co-coordinator and co-president of the coalition, a four-town municipal alliance serving Hillsdale, Montvale, River Vale and Woodcliff Lake. She also coordinates Parent Academy, an educational program for local families.
“The recent Meta settlement is directly connected to concerns the Hills Valley Coalition has been raising for years,” Charnow said. “From my perspective, the settlement is an important acknowledgment that parents cannot carry the entire burden of protecting children online.”
Families have a responsibility to set limits, monitor online activity and speak openly with their children, she said, but technology companies also must be accountable for how their platforms are designed. “No parent can realistically compete alone with platforms specifically engineered to keep children engaged and addicted,” Charnow said.
The coalition confronted those concerns locally at an April 8 program at Pascack Hills High School titled “Protecting Our Kids: The Many Dangers of Social Media.”
The event brought parents together with law enforcement officers, school counselors and community organizations for a discussion of cyberbullying, sextortion, counterfeit pills, online drug trafficking and young people’s mental health.
“The most powerful part of the evening was hearing from four parents who transformed unimaginable loss into advocacy and action,” Charnow said.
The speakers included Erin Popolo, whose daughter, Emily, died by suicide after experiencing cyberbullying, and Amy Neville, whose 14-year-old son, Alexander, died from fentanyl poisoning after taking counterfeit pills he believed were prescription medication.
Mary Rodee discussed her 15-year-old son, Riley Basford, who died by suicide after becoming the victim of an online sextortion scheme conducted through Facebook. Kristin Bride spoke about her 16-year-old son, Carson, who died by suicide after cyberbullying through anonymous messaging applications integrated with Snapchat.
All four women have since advocated for greater awareness, safer platform designs and stronger protections for children online.
Charnow said the settlement represents progress, but its success will depend on how the safeguards are understood and enforced.
“In my opinion, the Meta settlement is a meaningful step, but it cannot be viewed as the end of the conversation,” she said. “Safety features are only effective if families understand them, children feel safe asking for help, platforms enforce them consistently, and schools, law enforcement, mental health professionals, and community organizations continue working together.”
Charnow also co-founded the Better Together Foundation with Jennifer Auerbach. Both are longtime Woodcliff Lake residents and former co-presidents of the Pascack Hills PFA. Formally established July 22, the foundation has applied for recognition as a 501(c)(3) organization and is awaiting approval. It plans to organize events benefiting charitable organizations while promoting education, philanthropy and volunteerism. A separate Pascack Press feature about the foundation is in development.
If you or someone you know is experiencing emotional distress or a suicidal crisis, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.