The interactive gaming platform Roblox, popular among children and teens, has reached an over $12 million agreement with the state of Nevada over its protections for young users. Attorney General Aaron Ford said Wednesday the company will enhance safety features for young users and provide funds for nondigital youth programs. He calls it a first-of-its-kind settlement with a state. Roblox faces litigation in other states as prosecutors file lawsuits against social media companies over the role they play in children's lives. Roblox will contribute $10 million over three years to support youth programs and alternatives to screen time. The settlement includes enhanced age verification and restricted notifications for minors.
Australia is considering bringing court action against Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube after alleging they are not doing enough to keep Australian children younger than 16 off their platforms. Australia banned young children from holding accounts on 10 social media platforms in December. The first report from the eSAfety commission about compliance with the law was issued Tuesday. It found significant concerns with five platforms and was gathering evidence against them before deciding whether to initiate court action. The law also applies to Reddit, X, Kick, Threads and Twitch, but they aren't under investigation.
By KAITLYN HUAMANI and BARBARA ORTUTAY AP Technology Writers
TikTok has agreed to settle in a landmark social media addiction lawsuit just before the trial kicked off, the plaintiff's attorneys confirmed. The social video platform was one of three companies facing claims that their platforms deliberately addict and harm children, along with Meta's Instagram and Google's YouTube. Snapchat's parent company Snap Inc., settled the case last week for an undisclosed sum. Additional details of the settlement with TikTok were not disclosed. A lawyer for the plaintiff said in a statement Tuesday that TikTok remains a defendant in the other personal injury cases, and that the trial will proceed as scheduled against Meta and YouTube.
