Meta Platforms has agreed to pay up to $18 billion over the next decade and impose new restrictions on teenage use of Facebook and Instagram to settle lawsuits brought by nearly all U.S. states over alleged harm to children.
The agreement ends a major federal trial in which states accused Meta of designing its platforms to encourage compulsive use among young people while misleading the public about safety risks.
Under the settlement, teenagers will generally be limited to two hours of Facebook and Instagram use per day, with access blocked between midnight and 6 a.m. unless parents give permission. Meta will also disable most push notifications during school hours and strengthen protections against age-restricted content.
The company will make about $12.7 billion in guaranteed payments, with another $5 billion potentially due depending on whether Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube adopt similar youth protections. California could receive about $2.2 billion, while New York could receive roughly $1.1 billion.
Meta did not admit wrongdoing and will not be required to eliminate personalized recommendations or targeted advertising. The company said providing teenagers with a safe and productive experience remains a priority.
The settlement could become an important template for thousands of other lawsuits facing social media companies over allegations that their platforms contributed to anxiety, depression and other harms among young users.
