Meta has reached an $18 billion settlement with 29 U.S. states over allegations that the company intentionally designed Instagram and Facebook to keep children engaged, potentially harming their well-being. While the settlement is historic in scale, its real financial impact is mitigated by the fact that payments will be spread over a decade, according to Jessica Nall, a technology litigator at Withers. The settlement obligates Meta to implement comprehensive child-safety measures, many of which rely on age-verification technology that experts argue is currently ineffective and prone to privacy risks.

The proposed design changes include a default two-hour daily screen-time limit for minors, periodic usage prompts, overnight app blocking, and muted notifications during school hours. However, the success of these measures hinges on accurate age verification, which remains a contentious issue. Age-verification methods, ranging from biometric scans to government ID checks, have been criticized for potential privacy violations and inaccuracies. While some experts like Philip Yannella believe that age-assurance technologies have improved and can be implemented with minimal privacy intrusion, others, such as Dr. Alexis Ingber, caution that transmitting sensitive identity information online inherently carries significant privacy risks. Meta frames the settlement as evidence of its leadership in children’s online safety, while simultaneously urging competitors like TikTok and YouTube to adopt similar measures.

This is a summary. Read the original at techcrunch.com.