Parent activists are dismissing Meta's $17 billion settlement in a child social media addiction lawsuit as "peanuts," arguing that far more must be done to protect children on social media.

Cheryl Brown, an activist who lost her daughter McKenna to cyberbullying and sexual harassment, is now leading the effort to hold Meta accountable for how it treats young users. In an interview with FOX Business, she said that while Meta agreed to some changes following the lawsuit, the issue ultimately requires action from Congress.

"It's a step in the right direction. It's peanuts in the scheme of things, and it certainly does not bring McKenna back or the other kids that have been lost," Brown told Fox.

"There are some positives," she acknowledged, pointing to the ban on children under 13 accessing Meta's platforms and Instagram being turned off for teens overnight.

Brown called on Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg to support parents in their push for reform, referencing reports that Zuckerberg had told others at Meta he wished the issue had been resolved by Congress before the lawsuit became necessary.

Brown and other parents have organized under the banner of ParentsSOS to urge Congress to pass the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), which she said offers far broader protections for children. In her view, Meta's current changes place too much emphasis on parental tools and do not force the company to fundamentally change the way its platforms interact with children.

KOSA passed the Senate last year in an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote, but it has still not made it through the House.

"The fact that it's not passed yet is asinine, honestly," Brown stated.

"It's gonna take something tragic happening to someone's kid before they finally open their eyes and realize that this is a hugely pervasive and preventable problem," she said.

The Meta settlement is part of a wider wave of legal and legislative pressure on social media companies over child safety. Juries have previously found Meta and YouTube liable for harm to young users, and other jurisdictions are moving on their own — France has become the first EU nation to ban social media for children under 15. For parents like Brown, the unresolved status of KOSA in the House is the key thing to watch next, since legislation would set binding rules for the whole industry rather than changes negotiated with a single company.

Related coverage: France becomes first EU nation to ban social media for children under 15, Hawley champions GUARD Act as heartbroken families say AI chatbots allegedly pushed teens to self-harm, and parents push Congress to act on kids' online safety after juries find Meta, YouTube liable for harm.