Meta has agreed to a $17.1 billion (£12.6 billion) settlement and new restrictions for teenage users on Facebook and Instagram. This follows a landmark US trial brought by California and 28 other states, which alleged that Meta deliberately incorporated addictive features into its platforms and misled users about safety.
Under the terms of the settlement, Meta will pay at least $12.1 billion (£8.9 billion) over the next decade. An additional £5 billion could be added if rival platforms like TikTok and YouTube adopt similar safeguards and make related payments.
The agreement mandates several changes for users under 18 on Facebook and Instagram. These include a two-hour daily limit across both platforms, with pauses and reminders appearing after 15 minutes of continuous use, and after 60 and 90 minutes of total use. Both apps will also be blocked for users under 18 between midnight and 6am, unless parents or guardians intervene. Notifications will be silenced between 10pm and 7am, and blocked between 8am and 3pm on school days.
Meta will also be required to offer teenagers a non-personalised, chronological feed, hide like counts by default, and make filters simulating extreme cosmetic procedures unavailable. California Attorney General Rob Bonta stated that the settlement "will make social media less dangerous for our kids and make a world of difference for children and their families."