What's changing on Facebook and Instagram: six key things from the Meta trial end

Meta, the company that owns Facebook and Instagram, has agreed to new rules for teenagers using its apps. This could change social media for young people in the US.

Meta will now make many safety rules the default choice for young users. This means these rules will be on automatically, instead of users needing to choose them.

This change comes after a big court case. Meta has to pay states up to $17bn. Meta also agreed to pay $1bn to Texas. This is the first time Meta has been forced to change important features for everyday users.

California’s attorney general called the changes a watershed moment. He said the default rules will make it harder for young people to ignore safety measures.

Meta must now make many safety rules the default setting for teen accounts. Parents can link their account to their child's and give permission for settings to be changed. Before, these safety tools were optional.

For example, when teens create an Instagram account, they will not see a personalized feed or likes on their posts unless a parent changes this. Many safety options were not used before because they were not on by default.

The agreement also stops Meta from making false claims about its safety features. Parents will be able to check how much time their children spend on the app and see who they are talking to.

Meta will also have default limits on app usage for teens. They can only use apps for two hours a day, but parents can change this. There will also be a night mode and school mode to limit use from midnight to 6am and 8am to 3pm on weekdays.