Meta agrees to settlement, platform changes in youth addiction case

What the report says

Meta Platforms has agreed to settle a major U.S. lawsuit that accused Facebook and Instagram of being designed in ways that could addict children, mislead users about safety, and collect personal data from minors. According to Al Jazeera’s report, the case was brought by a coalition of 29 U.S. states and began on August 18, with proceedings originally expected to run for about six weeks.

Under the settlement, Meta said it would pay up to $16.68bn and make nationwide changes to how Facebook and Instagram operate. The reported measures include a two-hour daily usage limit for users under 18 unless a parent removes it, nighttime blocks, and efforts to identify and remove children under 13 from the platforms. The California attorney general’s office said these terms were part of the agreement.

Meta denied wrongdoing while agreeing to the deal, which still requires court approval. The company had faced the possibility of much larger financial penalties, while the states had reportedly sought a lower figure than the theoretical maximum. The settlement follows another recent legal setback for Meta in New Mexico, where juries ordered it to pay damages in related litigation.

The case matters because it adds to growing scrutiny of how social media platforms affect young users and how companies manage child safety, privacy and screen-time controls. Meta is based in Silicon Valley, and the announcement was made as the company’s shares were slightly lower in early Wall Street trading.