Meta to pay $18 billion and make sweeping app changes to settle social media harms lawsuit

image via New Scientist

August 26, 2026, 2:20 PM

• •Meta agreed to settle a multistate lawsuit by paying about $12.7 billion over 10 years, with another $5.3 billion contingent on similar commitments from TikTok and YouTube.
• •The settlement requires default protections for users under 18, including a two-hour daily limit on Facebook and Instagram, 15-minute usage prompts, and overnight restrictions from midnight to 6 a.m.
• •Meta also agreed to disable push notifications during school hours for children’s accounts, strengthen age verification, add anti-cyberbullying measures, and hide likes on teens’ posts by default.
• •An independent auditor and the participating states will monitor compliance, and a research foundation will study teenagers’ well-being online.
• •The case stems from a lawsuit filed by dozens of states alleging Meta knowingly deployed harmful features for young users and misled the public about the risks.

Meta agreed to settle a lawsuit brought by dozens of states by paying nearly $18 billion and adopting new child-safety measures across its platforms. The agreement includes default two-hour daily limits for Facebook and Instagram users under 18, repeated usage prompts, overnight restrictions, and reduced notifications during school hours. Meta also committed to stronger age verification, anti-cyberbullying protections, and default hiding of likes on teens’ posts, with oversight from an independent auditor and state officials. The settlement follows allegations that Meta knowingly built harmful features for young users and comes after a separate jury verdict finding Meta and Google negligent over addictive app design elements.

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