Meta has settled a lawsuit brought by attorneys general from 29 US states over allegations it built systems exploiting minors' data while downplaying known harms to young users. The company will pay roughly $18 billion over ten years and adopt new restrictions including a two-hour daily usage cap for minors, nighttime access blocks, school-hours limits, tougher age verification, and curbs on social comparison features.
futurism.com
· 2026-08-27
Meta has reached an $18 billion settlement with attorneys general from 52 US states, territories and DC over claims it deliberately designed Instagram to be addictive to teenagers. As part of the deal, Meta will fund youth safety programs and roll out new default restrictions for under-18 users across Instagram and Facebook, including a combined two-hour daily time limit and a midnight-to-6am blackout period.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-08-27
Meta agreed to pay $16.7 billion to resolve a consolidated lawsuit brought by 51 state attorneys general over allegations its platforms fostered social media addiction among young users. The deal came just over a week into trial, before CEO Mark Zuckerberg was expected to testify, and California AG Rob Bonta said it does not shield Meta from further legal exposure. Florida's attorney general called the sum too small for a company of Meta's size and said his state will continue pursuing its own separate lawsuit.
cnbc.com
· 2026-08-27
An unreleased feature discovered in Google Photos version 7.90 lets users long-press albums, folders, or people to pin them as shortcuts in a new horizontal bar at the top of the Collections tab. Android Authority manually activated the hidden option and found it largely functional, including a dedicated Edit menu for reordering pinned items and browsing library categories.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-08-27
Meta has settled with 47 US states over youth safety harms, agreeing to pay at least $12 billion regardless of outcome, with an additional $5.3 billion contingent on TikTok, YouTube and Snap adopting similar protections like default usage limits and nighttime notification blocks. Meta publicized the deal through an 'Open Letter' and full-page newspaper ads urging its rivals to match its new standards, while TikTok, YouTube and Snap have not yet commented.
theverge.com
· 2026-08-27
In court filings cited by The Guardian, attorneys for Andrew and Tristan Tate acknowledged that the brothers' displays of extreme wealth—rented supercars, a promotional yacht, and boasted income figures—were largely fabricated for social media engagement. The admission came as the brothers face extradition proceedings from Romania to the UK over serious criminal allegations.
futurism.com
· 2026-08-27
NYC political figure Zohran Mamdani has been posting social media videos announcing new initiatives, projects, and events. Each video that invites public participation closes with a clean, memorable top-level link in the format nyc.gov/{initiative}, directing viewers to take action.
iamwillwang.com
· 2026-08-26
Meta reached a proposed settlement with a coalition of state attorneys general over lawsuits alleging harm to young users, avoiding a federal trial in Northern California. The deal, approved by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, includes payments of up to $16.7 billion over a decade and new teen-focused features like forced time limits, notification blocks, and a chronological feed option.
wired.com
· 2026-08-26
Meta reached a settlement of nearly $18 billion with almost all US states over claims it designed Facebook and Instagram to foster compulsive use among children and hid mental health risks. The deal, still pending court approval, requires Meta to impose a default two-hour daily time limit for teens, a midnight-to-6am usage block, and a school-hours notification mute, while Texas separately secured $1 billion outside the main $16.7 billion pact.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-08-26
Meta has reached a $16.7 billion settlement with 47 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and several territories over allegations tied to its addictive user experience design. As part of the agreement, Meta committed to making specific changes to features that regulators say were built to keep users, particularly minors, engaged for longer periods.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-08-26
Jim Cramer said Meta's $18 billion settlement with attorneys general over youth social media addiction claims is a favorable outcome for the company, ending a federal trial that could have exposed Meta to $200 billion in fines. Under the deal with 48 states, D.C., and three territories, Meta agreed to daily time limits, better parental controls, age-verification tools, and fewer notifications during school hours for young users.
cnbc.com
· 2026-08-26
Meta has agreed to pay $17 billion and implement new child-safety measures on Facebook and Instagram to resolve a major legal fight over teen social media addiction. The deal, announced by state attorneys general, settles claims brought by 47 states and averts a continuation of the trial.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-08-26
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