Meta agreed to pay nearly $17 billion and impose new restrictions on teenagers’ use of Instagram and Facebook in the United States, in a deal that ends the central part of a lawsuit over the alleged addictive effects of the platforms and harm to minors’ mental health. The measures include a two-hour daily limit, blocking access between midnight and 6 a.m., and preventing nighttime use.
The deal has reignited debate in Paraguay over protecting children and adolescents on digital platforms. Miguel Ángel Gaspar, a cybersecurity and digital-health expert and director of the Ciberpadres Latinoamérica network, said Instagram and Facebook were designed for a business model aimed at adults, with features such as infinite scrolling, intrusive advertising and behavioral data collection.
“If your child is under 16, do everything possible to keep them away from these places,” Gaspar said in an interview with radio Monumental 1080 AM. In his view, minors’ accounts should be mandatorily linked to their parents, who would be responsible for what happens on those profiles. Ciberpadres works to prevent and address cases of cyberaddiction, cyberbullying, sexting, grooming and digital stalking.
The expert said the U.S. deal could set a precedent beyond the states directly involved in the lawsuit, but it does not automatically become a rule for Paraguayan users. To adopt similar restrictions, Paraguay would need a legal basis capable of requiring platforms to change their systems, as well as agencies able to monitor compliance.
Gaspar cited measures adopted in Brazil as a reference, including a $30 million fine imposed on Meta and changes required after restrictions on cellphone use in classrooms. He also advocated limiting the collection of minors’ data and holding parents responsible for managing the accounts.
In Paraguay, the Personal Data Protection Law will not take effect until November 2027, according to the analysis presented by the expert. He criticized the fact that its effective date coincides with the presentation of the regulations and said the country still needs a cybersecurity law and an update to a bill on protecting children online drafted in 2016.
The discussion is taking place alongside a proposal before Congress to remove cellphones from classrooms. Gaspar argues that the country needs a consistent set of laws, rather than just a decree or isolated rule, to respond to companies’ reactions and enforce limits effectively.