Meta's $18 billion settlement with attorneys general from 29 states includes a provision that bars states from suing Meta under existing child safety laws for its retention and use of children's data, specifically for training and testing its age-assurance model. The agreement requires Meta to develop and begin testing a model to detect users under 13 within a year, with guardrails prohibiting ad targeting or marketing use of such data. However, legal experts note that COPPA is primarily enforced by the FTC, which is not party to the settlement, and the carve-out could complicate future enforcement actions. An independent auditor will monitor compliance, but questions remain about data retention and potential misuse.
Meta Platforms Inc.Settlement restricts states from suing Meta under child safety laws, but COPPA enforcement by FTC remains, and compliance requirements add regulatory burden.
