Arkansas – Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is calling on other major social media companies to follow Meta’s lead after the tech giant agreed to a multibillion-dollar settlement over allegations that its platforms harmed children.
“Meta made the right decision settling this lawsuit and putting commonsense safeguards for kids in place,” Sanders said. “But they can’t be the only ones. It’s time for Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, and others to step up and start putting kids’ safety over their bottom line.”
Sanders’ comments came after Meta agreed in late August to a landmark settlement that could cost the company up to $16.68 billion and requires significant changes to how Facebook and Instagram are operated for younger users.
The settlement stemmed from lawsuits brought by states alleging that Meta deliberately designed features on its platforms to keep children and teenagers engaged, while failing to adequately address the potential harms associated with prolonged social media use.
According to Reuters, the states accused Meta of designing Facebook and Instagram in ways that could addict children, misleading consumers about the safety of its platforms and improperly collecting personal information from children. Meta denied wrongdoing as part of the settlement.
The agreement also calls for changes intended to place additional restrictions on young users. Among the measures are daily usage limits, nighttime restrictions and stronger efforts to prevent children from accessing age-restricted content.
The settlement followed a trial that had been underway in California involving claims from states over the impact of social media on children and teenagers. The case was part of a broader wave of litigation targeting major technology companies over allegations that their products contributed to mental health problems and other harms among young users.
The Washington Post reported that Meta agreed to pay as much as $18 billion under the broader settlement and implement sweeping changes to Facebook and Instagram, including blocking the platforms for children during nighttime hours. The agreement also placed pressure on other major technology companies, including TikTok and YouTube, to adopt similar protections.
State attorneys general involved in the settlement described it as a major step toward changing how social media companies design and operate products used by children. The Arizona Attorney General’s Office said the multistate agreement was valued at $17.1 billion and required Meta to implement extensive safety features on Instagram and Facebook.
The measures include stronger age-assurance technology intended to identify younger users and determine which protections should apply to them. Reuters reported that the agreement requires Meta to improve its ability to identify underage users, including users younger than 13 who are not permitted to maintain accounts on the platforms.
Other safeguards include limits on how long teenagers can use the platforms and measures designed to interrupt extended periods of scrolling. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office said the agreement includes a combined two-hour daily limit for children ages 13 to 17 on Instagram and Facebook, along with mandatory pauses after extended periods of continuous use.
The settlement is significant because of the number of states involved and the potential financial consequences for Meta. It also comes as lawmakers, attorneys general and parents across the country continue to debate how social media companies should be held responsible for protecting minors online.
Sanders’ comments placed the focus on companies beyond Meta, specifically naming Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube.
Her message suggests that she does not view Meta’s settlement as an end to the broader fight over children’s online safety. Instead, she argued that similar safeguards should be adopted across the social media industry so that protections for children do not depend on which platform they use.
Meta has also encouraged other technology companies to adopt similar protections, according to TechCrunch. The company has framed the settlement as a call for YouTube and TikTok to implement comparable controls for teenagers and parents.
The settlement has therefore created a potential new standard for how major social media platforms approach young users. While the legal agreement directly affects Meta’s Facebook and Instagram platforms, the financial terms and new restrictions have increased pressure on competing companies to address similar concerns.
Sanders’ call for Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube and other platforms to “step up” comes as states continue pursuing legal and regulatory action against technology companies over youth safety.
For Sanders, the issue is ultimately about whether social media companies are willing to put protections for children ahead of the financial incentives created by keeping users online.
“Meta made the right decision settling this lawsuit,” Sanders said, while making clear that she believes the same responsibility now extends across the industry.