In a surprising move, Meta agreed on Wednesday (August 26) to pay $18 billion (120.9 billion RMB; 571.8 billion NTD) to settle allegations that Facebook and Instagram have harmed children.
I had anticipated weeks of courtroom battles, given that 29 states—representing nearly two-thirds of the North American region—had joined forces to take on a U.S. tech giant.
Technically speaking, the case centers on the issue of children’s online privacy. It was brought under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), a U.S. law that dates back nearly 30 years—predating the emergence of all today’s major social media platforms.