- Meta has agreed to pay up to $18 billion to settle claims that Facebook and Instagram harmed children.
- The settlement covers 48 states, Washington, D.C., and three U.S. territories, with payments spread across 10 years.
- Instagram and Facebook will introduce default time limits, nighttime restrictions and additional protections for younger users.
Meta has agreed to an $18 billion settlement over allegations that Facebook and Instagram harmed children, marking the company’s largest payment related to child safety litigation.
The agreement still requires approval from a California judge. Meta denied wrongdoing but agreed to make significant changes to how younger users interact with its platforms.
Meta Introduces New Teen Restrictions
Under the settlement, teenagers will receive a default two-hour combined daily limit across Facebook and Instagram. Turning off the restriction will require parental permission.
Meta will also introduce a default night mode blocking notifications between midnight and 6 a.m., alongside a school mode that mutes notifications between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. on school days.
Teen users will receive notifications after 15 minutes of continuous use and additional alerts after reaching 60 and 90 minutes of total usage.
Other changes include hiding likes, providing a non-algorithmic feed option, allowing autoplay to be disabled and restricting access to extreme makeup filters.
Settlement Covers Most of the U.S.
The agreement includes 48 states, Washington, D.C., and three U.S. territories.
The original lawsuit was filed in 2023 by 29 states accusing Meta of violating federal and state child privacy laws.
New Mexico is not participating in the settlement. A federal judge there separately ruled against Meta last month and ordered the company to pay nearly $1 billion in combined penalties.
Meta Calls for Industry-Wide Changes
Meta said its $18 billion settlement payments will be distributed through annual installments over a 10-year period.
The company is also calling on TikTok, YouTube and other platforms to introduce similar protections. If major competitors adopt comparable restrictions, Meta’s default daily limit for teenagers could fall from two hours to one hour.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta described the agreement as a potential blueprint for broader changes across the social media industry.
