Meta Under Pressure: $18 Billion US Settlement – What's Switzerland Planning?
Youth Protection and Algorithms at the Heart of the Debate
While the US presses Meta over its handling of young people, Switzerland is working on new rules for large online platforms. The focus is on youth protection, algorithms, and increased transparency.
Switzerland aims to regulate large social media platforms more strictly. The Federal Council has submitted a preliminary draft of the Federal Act on Communication Platforms and Search Engines (KomPG) for this purpose. The consultation period ended on February 16, 2026. The exact further course of the legislative process is still pending.
Mainly very large platforms and search engines would be affected. According to the preliminary draft, «very large» refers to services used monthly by an average of at least ten percent of Switzerland's permanent resident population – currently equivalent to about 900,000 users.
For these providers, provisions include greater transparency in content removal and account blocking, internal complaint mechanisms, advertising requirements, and more transparency in recommendation systems. Authorities and researchers are also to gain access to platform data under certain conditions.
International Pressure Grows
International pressure on large platform companies is simultaneously increasing. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, reported record advertising revenues last year: 196.2 billion US dollars, equivalent to 168.3 billion Euros. This was reported by the Deutsche Welle.
In early August, 29 US states, including California, Colorado, and New Jersey, filed lawsuits against Meta. They accuse the company of intentionally designing its platforms to make young users addicted. Shortly thereafter, a settlement was announced: Meta will pay up to 18 billion US dollars to 47 states, the District of Columbia, and US territories. A separate agreement of 1 billion US dollars was reached with Texas.
Camille Carlton of the Center for Humane Technology calls for stricter regulations: «Companies of this size, with so much influence on people's lives, must meet basic safety standards. This idea is not radical. It's the same standard we apply to other products like cars, medicines, and children's toys.»
Youth Protection Becomes a Central Point of Contention
Governments worldwide are tightening rules for social media. Australia, Indonesia, Brazil, and Malaysia have already introduced bans or strict restrictions for children. In the US, the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) is gaining support. It provides for stricter security settings for minors.
In Switzerland too, the protection of children and young people has become an important part of the debate. The Federal Commission for Children and Youth Affairs (EKKJ) rejects blanket social media bans. Instead, it calls for clear rules, media literacy, and greater responsibility from platform operators.
In its statement on the KomPG, the EKKJ demands that child and youth protection be explicitly enshrined in law. Platforms should implement concrete protective measures for minors. The commission mentions age-appropriate reporting systems, privacy protection, security measures, regular risk assessments, and better access for independent researchers to platform data.
What Happens with Algorithms?
One of the crucial questions concerns the recommendation systems. TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and other platforms use algorithms to decide what content users see next.
The Swiss preliminary draft does not simply aim to ban these systems. Rather, it envisions transparency obligations. Platforms would have to disclose the main parameters of their recommendation systems and their weighting. Furthermore, for each recommendation system, at least one option that is not based on profiling should be offered.
This addresses a fundamental question: How much influence should private platform companies have over what information people see – and how long they stay on a platform?
Switzerland Does Not Rely on a Blanket Ban
This is precisely where the Swiss discussion differs from some international demands. The EKKJ does not consider blanket bans for children and young people to be an adequate solution. It argues that such bans can restrict important digital learning and participation opportunities. Instead, children and parents, as well as the platforms, must be held more accountable.
At the same time, the commission views algorithms critically. The market-oriented logic of platforms aims to capture attention and maximize usage time. Therefore, binding transparency obligations and clear legal requirements are needed.
A Long Road Ahead
Switzerland thus has a concrete bill on the table, but not yet a new law. After the consultation process concludes, the Federal Council must further revise the draft before it goes to Parliament. Many political questions are therefore not yet definitively decided.
The international comparison simultaneously shows how difficult the regulation of large platforms is. While multi-billion dollar settlements and lawsuits in the US increase pressure on companies like Meta, Switzerland seeks to proceed more through transparency, user rights, and oversight.
For Swiss users, this could become noticeable in the long term: for example, through more information about why certain content is displayed or removed, better complaint options, and more transparency in advertising and recommendation systems.
The crucial question is therefore no longer whether social media should be regulated. It is about how far regulation can go – and who ultimately ensures that children are protected without unnecessarily restricting freedom of expression and digital participation.
