Meta reached an $18 billion settlement with a coalition of U.S. states that accused it of concealing the risks its platforms posed to young users, ending a high-profile trial in California. Under the deal Meta will pay roughly $12.7 billion outright and adopt new safeguards for minors, such as a two-hour daily limit, disabled cosmetic-surgery filters and stricter age checks, while the remaining $5.3 billion depends on rivals like TikTok and YouTube adopting similar protections.
cnbc.com
· 2026-08-29
Meta is reportedly encouraging other major platforms like YouTube and TikTok to share in settling claims over harm to young users' mental health, but Snapchat appears to be left out of that outreach. The move would spread liability and costs across multiple companies rather than Meta alone, even though bringing in more parties could theoretically raise Meta's own settlement obligations.
gizmodo.com
· 2026-08-27
Meta has agreed to pay as much as $17.1 billion and change how Instagram and Facebook operate, settling claims from 47 states, D.C. and U.S. territories that its platforms were built to addict and harm children. About $12 billion is due upfront, with the rest contingent on Snap, TikTok and YouTube accepting similar penalties and reforms.
entrepreneur.com
· 2026-08-26
Meta settled a federal lawsuit brought by attorneys general from 51 US states and territories over claims it harmed young users, agreeing to pay as much as $16.7 billion and overhaul how teens use Instagram and Facebook. The deal came abruptly, just days into a federal trial that had threatened over $1 trillion in potential liability, and includes a default two-hour daily time limit for teens that requires parental approval to remove.
wired.com
· 2026-08-26