Meta has reached a settlement agreement with attorneys general from 29 US states, which includes a provision allowing the company to retain and use data from children under 13. This permission is specifically for the purpose of training and testing Meta’s age-assurance model.
As part of the settlement, Meta is required to develop, train, and begin testing a model designed to detect users under the age of 13 on its platforms within one year of the agreement's effective date. The agreement specifies that Meta cannot use data from users under 13 for ad targeting, marketing, or algorithmic optimization.
The state attorneys general have agreed not to bring any past, present, or future claims under COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act) or similar state laws related to Meta's use of children's data for this specific purpose. An independent auditor will monitor Meta's compliance with the settlement terms.