The UK government has formally requested that Meta apply the same child safety standards in Britain that the company recently agreed to implement in the United States. This development follows a massive legal settlement in the US, where Meta agreed to pay up to $18 billion to resolve lawsuits from dozens of states alleging that the company’s platforms, including Instagram, have harmed children through addictive and dangerous product features.

Pat McFadden, the UK’s work and pensions secretary, publicly stated on Thursday that British young people should not be subject to a lower standard of protection than those in the US. As part of the US settlement, Meta has committed to several safety changes, including a default daily time limit of two hours for minors. The UK government is now pushing for these specific measures to be mirrored domestically to ensure consistent safety protocols across regions.

While the US settlement involves significant financial penalties and mandated product changes, the UK's current position is one of expectation rather than a direct legal mandate. The government’s stance reflects a growing international trend of regulators pressuring social media giants to standardize safety features globally. Meta has not yet issued a formal response regarding whether it intends to apply these specific US-based safety updates to its UK user base, leaving the extent of the rollout in Britain currently uncertain.