On this week’s bonus episode of Lever Time, exclusively for The Lever’s supporting subscribers, David Sirota is joined by media strategist Jason Kint to discuss why Facebook’s parent company Meta is in court. Meta is currently suing the government to prevent regulators from enforcing a 2020 privacy settlement that required Facebook to expand children’s privacy protections.
In May of 2023, the Federal Trade Commission proposed changes to the settlement that prohibited Meta from monetizing data it collects from users younger than 18 years old. Now Meta is suing the agency, claiming its authority is “unconstitutional” — and if the lawsuit is successful, it could result in a serious kneecapping of the FTC’s ability to protect consumers and fight antitrust actions.
In today’s interview, Jason breaks down everything you need to know about Meta’s lawsuit and what it could mean for the future of tech. He also explains the methods tech companies use to harvest data from children, how parents can protect their kids, and how tech companies that prioritize short-term profits make the internet more dangerous.
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