From Fortune Magazine:

Meta has introduced a “nighttime nudge” for young Instagram users, prompting them to limit screen time in a commitment to better online child safety. A New Mexico claim brought against Meta revealed claims that it failed to protect at-risk children from explicit photos solicitation and sexual exploitation.

Instagram’s wellness “nudge” will encourage teens to prioritize sleep by asking them to take a break from the app after 10 p.m. Meta’s parental supervision tools introduced in June allow parents to monitor and limit their kids’ time on Instagram.

Meta implemented policy changes, including placing teens in a “most restrictive content control” setting, as part of their continuous commitment to teen safety. However, this comes after 41 states sued Meta for creating addictive features that exploit children. Meta denies that its extensive policy changes are related to the pending lawsuits.

Executives from Meta, X, Snap, Discord and TikTok will testify before the Senate on child safety on Jan. 31. A New Mexico lawsuit against Meta includes instances dating back to 2016 of child exploitation, including pedophiles on Facebook peddling explicit photos of children.

The lawsuit claims that Meta ignored internal red flags showing that teen app usage was harmful, prioritizing profits over vulnerable users. Internal documents revealed the company made it more difficult to report inappropriate content, knowingly downplaying harmful content and user experiences on its platforms.



Read more: Meta introduces ‘nighttime nudge’ on Instagram to limit screen time day after New Mexico lawsuit revelations of child exploitation