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Meta agrees up to $18bn teen-safety settlement
Meta will pay states and change Facebook and Instagram safeguards for US users under 18.
What happened
Meta agreed to settle claims by a coalition of US state attorneys general that its platforms harmed young people through addictive design. The deal calls for payments of up to $18 billion and new protections for under-18 users of Facebook and Instagram, including usage limits, nighttime blocks and stronger age checks. Court approval is required.
Numbers
- Up to $18bnSettlement payment over ten years — Part is conditional on rivals
- $12.7bnGuaranteed payment under the agreement — Paid to states and territories
- 2 hours dailyUsage cap for teen accounts — Applies to Facebook and Instagram
- Midnight to 6amDefault overnight access block — For users under 18
Questions
- What will teen users notice?
- Parents must approve disabling daily limits, and school-hour notifications will be switched off by default for younger users.
- Why is part of payment conditional?
- Meta linked $5.3 billion to YouTube and TikTok adopting comparable limits, blocks and age-verification measures.
- Does this end Meta’s legal exposure?
- No. Individual plaintiffs and school districts still have US cases pending, despite the states’ federal settlement.
- Which states remain outside the deal?
- Florida and New Mexico did not join the settlement action, and Florida plans to continue its case.
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Support and opposition
Who supports this, and why
State attorneys general — Platform design harmed young people, so enforceable restrictions and payments are needed to protect them.
Who opposes this, and why
Meta — Safety measures work only if rival platforms adopt comparable protections, because young users move between apps.
The catch
Coverage differs on the payment total and participating states; the agreement still requires court approval.
Terms also include conditional payments.