Meta Faces Multi-billion US Settlement, Spotlighting SA’s Child Safety Gaps
Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has agreed to a record-breaking $18-billion (over R300-billion) settlement in the United States following legal action alleging that its platforms contributed to harm among children and teenagers and failed to do enough to protect young users. The settlement, which involves almost all U.S. states, mandates specific safeguards including default daily limits, nighttime lockouts, and the disabling of notifications during school hours.
While Meta has denied any wrongdoing, the settlement has intensified an already urgent global debate about children’s digital safety. Around the world, governments are taking action, from Australia’s nationwide ban on under-16s to Brazil’s parental consent requirements, the UK’s proposed restrictions, and similar measures being considered in many other countries.
However, as governments and courts grapple with how platforms should protect young users, Pretoria based, Professor Anke de Beer believes the solution must start earlier and closer to home: with education. She is the founder of the Smart Device Licence, a pioneering South African programme designed to teach children and teenagers how to use smart devices safely, responsibly and with greater awareness of the risks they may encounter online before they are given unrestricted access.
“When you give your child a smart device, you don’t just give them access to the world. You give the world access to your child,” says Prof Anke. “The Smart Device Licence is about turning that access into a valuable skill for navigating the digital world responsibly.”
Why this matters now
Children are entering the digital world at increasingly young ages, often gaining access to social media, online gaming, messaging platforms and other digital environments before they fully understand the risks involved. Concerns around cyberbullying, inappropriate content, privacy, online exploitation, excessive device use and digital addiction have made children’s online safety an increasingly important issue for families, schools and policymakers. The latest record action against Meta is one of several developments internationally placing greater scrutiny on how technology platforms operate.
But platform regulation and landmark settlements are only part of the solution. Children also need to know how to navigate the digital world before they are given a device.
A personal mission becomes a national programme
Prof Anke’s journey from housewife to academic and activist was sparked by a deeply personal family experience involving gaming addiction and its devastating consequences. The experience opened her eyes to the potential risks of unrestricted digital access and the importance of equipping children with the knowledge to make safer choices. What began as a family’s fight for survival became a broader mission to help protect South Africa’s young people.
The Smart Device Licence was developed with input from professionals working across education, psychology and child protection, with the aim of providing children with practical skills they can use in their everyday digital lives, filling the gap left by slow-moving regulation and corporate settlements.
How the Smart Device Licence works
The Smart Device Licence is an interactive e-learning programme covering:
- Digital citizenship
- Privacy protection
- Cyberbullying recognition
- Responsible social media use
- Healthy device habits
- Online safety
- Understanding digital risks
There are two levels:
Junior Licence: Designed for primary school learners, focusing on healthy device habits, responsible digital behaviour and avoiding harmful online content.
Senior Licence: Designed for high school learners, covering privacy, adult content, sharing personal images or messages, cyberbullying, responsible online communication and the psychology of digital addiction. Learners complete modules, quizzes and practical exercises. Those who complete the programme receive an official Smart Device Licence certificate. Schools including Rabboni Christian School in Brits are already using the platform. The programme is voluntary. The licence is an educational milestone, not a legal requirement.
Expanding access
The Smart Device Licence is available to schools, parents and learners across South Africa.
“The conversation about children’s digital safety is becoming impossible to ignore,” says Prof Anke. “But we should not wait for a court case, legislation or a crisis, whether in the US or here at home, before we prepare our children. The best time to teach a child how to use a smart device responsibly is before they receive one.”
The licence fee is R115, including VAT, providing access to the programme’s modules, exercises and quizzes. Content will be updated regularly to reflect emerging technologies, digital trends and relevant developments.
