Meta’s $18bn settlement: How social platforms will change for child users

What the report says

Meta has agreed to an $18bn settlement in a US federal case brought by 48 states that accused the company of designing Instagram and Facebook in ways that harmed children and encouraged addictive use, Al Jazeera reported on 27 Aug. 2026. The case grew out of broader state claims that Meta failed to verify ages, weakened parental controls and exposed young users to harmful or exploitative content. Meta denied wrongdoing but settled after evidence was presented, the report said.

Under the agreement, users under 18 in the US will face a new set of default safeguards on Meta’s platforms. These include a two-hour daily usage limit, a midnight-to-6am curfew, reduced notifications during school hours, and the hiding of likes and reactions to limit social comparison. The company also said cosmetic-procedure filters would be blocked by default for minors, unless a parent approves otherwise. Parents and guardians would gain more oversight of account settings, contacts and certain alerts, including searches linked to self-harm, suicide or eating disorders.

The settlement does not require Meta to end personalised recommendations or targeted advertising, and it does not apply to all concerns raised by researchers about body image and other harms. Al Jazeera noted that the changes would be phased in after court approval, beginning with non-personalised feeds and followed by broader compliance and age-verification measures. While the terms are for the United States, the report said they could influence regulation elsewhere as governments increasingly scrutinize child safety on social media.