Alphabet (GOOGL) shares fell on Wednesday as a landmark settlement between Meta Platforms and US state attorneys general placed renewed scrutiny on how YouTube protects children and teenagers on its platform.
Meta’s landmark settlement over child safety would not only impose stricter limits on how teenagers use Instagram and Facebook, but could also put a multibillion-dollar financial obligation on Alphabet’s YouTube and TikTok if they agree to similar measures — a prospect that has likely weighed on Alphabet shares on Wednesday.
Alphabet, which owns Google and YouTube, was down about 1.35% by 10:45 a.m.
Meta shares, meanwhile, initially swung between gains and losses before rising more than 1%.
The developments followed Meta’s agreement with attorneys general from across the US to settle claims that its platforms were designed to keep children and teenagers engaged, while failing to adequately protect young users.
Meta said the agreement involved a bipartisan group of 52 attorneys general across US states, territories and the District of Columbia.
“Today, we are announcing an agreement with a bipartisan group of 52 attorneys general across US states, territories, and the District of Columbia, building on our longstanding efforts to empower parents and support teens,” Meta said in a statement.
Meta has not been facing the lawsuits alone.
States, schools and teenagers have filed thousands of lawsuits against Meta, Alphabet, TikTok owner ByteDance and Snap, alleging that their products were deliberately designed to maximize engagement among young users.
Meta introduces tighter controls for teens
Under the agreement, Meta said it would automatically apply several protections to users under 18 on Instagram and Facebook.
The measures include a default two-hour daily time limit, which teenagers would only be able to disable with permission from a parent.
Meta is also introducing a default Night Mode that blocks access to its apps between midnight and 6 a.m.
During those overnight hours, teenagers will not be able to post or view content on Feed, Stories, Explore or Reels.
Meta also outlined a School Mode feature under which notifications will be muted by default between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Direct messages and alerts concerning account security or safety would remain available.
Algorithmic feed control, autoplay control, hiding the number of likes and reactions on posts, and disabling cosmetic surgery and extreme makeup filters were some other measures announced.
The company said most provisions under the agreement would remain in place for 10 years, while the Time Limit and Night Mode measures would initially carry a five-year commitment.
However, those commitments could become stricter if other major social media platforms join the initiative.
YouTube and TikTok face pressure to follow
Meta explicitly called on YouTube and TikTok to adopt the same standards, potentially increasing pressure on Alphabet to make changes to YouTube.
“For meaningful progress to happen, we urge TikTok and YouTube to join us and state attorneys general in adopting this new standard, to ensure teens use social media in a healthy and responsible way.”
Meta said industry-wide participation would strengthen the agreement.
If YouTube and TikTok sign on, the daily limit would be reduced to one hour per app, while Night Mode would be expanded to run from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
“The agreement is designed to drive industry-wide adoption, ensuring teens receive consistent protections across the apps they use most, like YouTube and TikTok. If industry peers adopt this new standard, certain provisions will be strengthened,” it said.
Our new Time Limit commitments, Night Mode features and usage limits during school hours set the right path forward for our whole industry, but this framework will only work if all our peers join us. Because teens move fluidly across dozens of apps, we need an industry-wide solution. We therefore call on our industry peers, TikTok and YouTube, to implement this new framework, right away.
That creates a potential dilemma for Alphabet.
YouTube would face additional restrictions on engagement among younger users while potentially having to incur costs to implement the measures.
Meta $18 billion payment hinges on participation by YouTube, TikTok
Meta also said the agreement includes a payment of approximately $18 billion, which can be used to fund youth online safety initiatives and other state priorities.
The payment will be distributed through annual installments over 10 years.
Participating states will receive about 70%, or approximately $12.7 billion, during that period.
However, the remaining roughly $5.3 billion will be paid only after two conditions are met.
Firstly, YouTube and TikTok would need to implement a one-hour Daily Limit, Night Mode, and age-assurance measures.
Secondly, they would also each need to make payments matching the 30% portion, with half of the remaining funds tied to YouTube’s payment and the other half to TikTok’s.
The structure effectively makes participation by Alphabet and ByteDance important to the full financial terms of the agreement.
For investors, the immediate impact on Alphabet remains uncertain.
But with YouTube named explicitly in the proposed industry-wide framework and thousands of youth-related lawsuits still moving forward, the settlement could mark another step toward tougher standards for the world’s largest social media platforms.
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