Instagram Surrenders, Undergoes Total Change After Government Pressure

Meta has agreed to restrict teenage users’ access to its platforms in the United States. The policy was adopted following lawsuits filed in nearly all US states over allegations that the platform’s design triggers addiction in children.

The decision includes limiting app usage by default. Users under the age of 18 will be restricted to two hours per day, according to Reuters on Friday (28/8/2026).

In addition to the time limit, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram also agreed to pay a fine or settlement of US$18 billion (Rp318 trillion).

This change has angered several other countries. One of them is Australia, which previously became the first country in the world to issue a ban on social media use for children.

Australia’s Communications Minister, Anika Wells, took a swipe at Meta’s stance by stating that the company actually has the means to protect young people but chose not to use them.

“Meta has the means to protect young people from addictive features, but chose not to use them,” Wells said.

South Korea’s regulatory body also hopes that the steps taken by Meta can be applied worldwide to protect young users, not just in certain markets.

Meanwhile, the settlement agreement is considered to be able to help other countries planning to implement similar restrictions. Meta has even held meetings with the Philippine government to discuss the matter.

Secretary of the Philippines’ Department of Information and Communications Technology, Henry Aguda, said that Meta and Roblox promised to tighten the age verification process, expand parental control features, and implement time limits on social media use.

Meta has also reportedly signalled to Brazil’s National Data Protection Authority its desire to discuss child internet safety issues with local regulators.