Abuja: Meta says it has reached an agreement with 52 bipartisan U.S. state attorneys general to introduce stronger protections and parental controls for teenage users of its social media platforms. Its Chief Legal Officer, Curtis Mahoney, made the disclosure in a statement on Wednesday.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, ‘bipartisan’ means the agreement has support from representatives of both major U.S. political parties, not just one. Mahoney explained that the framework will make it easier for parents to control how their children use Meta platforms and will include measures to curb excessive and inappropriate use by teens. The new commitments include time limits, night mode features, and restrictions on social media use during school hours.
Mahoney stated that the measures were designed to give families greater control over teenagers’ online activities while encouraging healthier patterns of social media use. He emphasized that Meta’s approach recognized the need for more than individual parental cont
rols due to the variety of social media platforms available to young people. Highlighting the mobility of teenagers between different apps, Mahoney called for an industry-wide solution and urged other major social media companies, such as TikTok and YouTube, to adopt the framework.
He noted that the new rules represent an important step in Meta’s efforts to support parents while creating a safer online environment for teenagers. ‘As a parent, I am proud of both the work Meta has done to protect kids historically, and of this new groundbreaking agreement,’ Mahoney remarked.
However, he acknowledged that the effectiveness of the agreement would largely depend on other social media platforms implementing comparable safeguards. Meta’s commitments will be subject to independent monitoring to provide participating states with an objective assessment of the company’s compliance. An independent auditor will review Meta’s compliance with the agreement annually for five years and report its findings to the states inv
olved.
Mahoney underscored that the independent review will provide continuous oversight, ensuring that the commitments are implemented rather than remaining broad policy promises. He mentioned that Meta would continue engaging with parents, policymakers, and regulators globally to better understand how to support teenagers online. The company remains committed to empowering parents and developing measures that could help teenagers have safer and more responsible experiences on its platforms.
The agreement covers 52 jurisdictions, including U.S. states, territories, and the District of Columbia, with participating jurisdictions spanning across Alabama, California, New York, Texas, Washington, and others. Mahoney expressed hope that the agreement would encourage broader cooperation across the technology industry, particularly as teenagers increasingly moved between multiple social media platforms.