Meta settles US states’ child addiction claims for up to $18 billion
The agreement would cap teen usage at two hours a day and block overnight access, while leaving personalized recommendations and targeted advertising intact.
Meta will pay up to $18 billion and impose new restrictions on teenage users of Facebook and Instagram under settlements with nearly all US states.
The company agreed to cap teen usage at two hours a day, block access between midnight and 6 a.m. without parental consent, limit push notifications during school hours and strengthen protections against age-restricted content.
About $12.7 billion of the settlement is guaranteed, while another $5 billion depends on whether Snap, TikTok and YouTube introduce comparable safeguards.
Meta has denied any wrongdoing and will retain personalized recommendations and targeted advertising. It will also pay $459 million to settle state privacy claims related to Cambridge Analytica.
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The settlement follows a federal trial over claims that Meta knowingly designed its platforms to encourage addictive use among children and misled the public about their safety. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers signaled that she would approve the agreement, which could help set a precedent for thousands of similar cases still pending against social media companies.