Experts available: We need more than proposed Meta settlement to keep kids safe

A proposed $17.1 billion settlement agreement was announced on Wednesday that would require Meta to implement changes to how teens use the company’s social media platforms and end legal claims that the owner of Facebook and Instagram harmed children.  

In response to the agreement, News Literacy Project President and CEO Charles Salter released the following statement:   

“A single fix isn’t going to keep kids safe online. We certainly need meaningful reform from social media platforms, but more importantly, we need to ensure that teens have the skills and tools to make sense of what they encounter online — from their first scroll of the day to the last. 

“We can’t know whether the proposed reforms will have their intended effects, but we do know that kids will still use these platforms, daily in most cases. That’s why we must help them learn how to evaluate the credibility of sources and information, including AI-generated content. It’s clear: News literacy is not optional; it is an essential life skill.” 

Research from the News Literacy Project shows that, by the time they’re 14, almost half of teens have accounts on three or more social media apps. Eight in 10 teens on social media report seeing posts that spread or promote conspiracy theories.  

And teens want help navigating this confusing information landscape: 94% said that schools should be required to teach news literacy.  

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About the News Literacy Project

The News Literacy Project is a nonpartisan education nonprofit that works with teachers, school districts, states and community partners like libraries and after-school clubs to ensure students in all 50 states receive news literacy instruction before they graduate from high school. Learn more at www.newslit.org.