Meta has agreed to pay up to $18 billion to resolve claims brought by 29 U.S. states concerning children's safety on its social media platforms. The lawsuit alleged that Meta knowingly designed platforms such as Instagram and Facebook to be addictive for children, despite being aware of potential harms to young users.
The states also claimed that Meta knowingly collected data from children without parental knowledge, which was alleged to be a violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
By entering into this settlement, Meta is not admitting guilt regarding these claims. The company is presenting the settlement as a call to action for other platforms, including YouTube and TikTok, to implement new protections for teenagers and controls for parents.