Carolina Rossini, professor of practice and director of Public Interest Technology (PIT) programs at UMass Amherst, has authored a new article for The Conversation examining how changes to Facebook and Instagram are a key part of Meta's $17 billion settlement with US states over alleged harms to teens. In the article, Rossini lays out the facts and accusations of several state cases, including the exploitation of "vulnerabilities associated with adolescent development" with the goal to "maximize engagement" of users. She also reviews the changes Meta intends to introduce to each platform, time limits, blackout hours, usage prompts, and more.
Commenting on the outcomes of the settlement, Rossini states that "True accountability requires the underlying product mechanics—such as addictive algorithms, infinite scroll, and push notifications—to be actively redesigned, independently verified, and legally enforced. Without those structural changes, a financial payout is dismissed merely as "marketing" or a superficial fix."
In addition to The Conversation piece, Rossini contributed editorials in Portuguese to Brazil’s JOTA and Folha de São Paulo, one of the country’s largest newspapers on the topic. Her commentary and quotes on the settlement can also be found at several news outlets, including Reuters, The Indian Express, and Channel NewsAsia in Singapore. She was also interviewed on the topic on the Curiouscast by Shaye Ganam.
Updated September 3, 2026.