Meta has agreed to settle claims brought by 47 states that it deliberately designed Facebook and Instagram to addict teenagers, ending a landmark trial in federal court in Oakland, California, before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers.
The states put the settlement at $17 billion. Meta has characterised the total as $18 billion, a figure reported to include a large separate award for Texas, which leaves the Texas share unclear until it is confirmed by the state.
The lawsuit accused Meta of deliberately building features that addict children to its platforms while concealing what it knew about the harm, and of routinely collecting data on children under 13 without parental consent in violation of federal law.
Arturo Bejar, a former Meta engineering director, testified that the company prioritised profits over safety.
The settlement is to be paid out annually over 10 years. Virginia's share was reported at $353 million, one of the few state figures made public so far.
What changes on the apps
The money will matter less to most families than the settlement's operating terms, which Meta has agreed to apply to Facebook and Instagram:
- A hard cap on daily time limits, with enforced pauses for children using the apps
- No push notifications during weekday school hours
- Age assurance measures the states describe as robust, rather than self-reported ages
- Age-appropriate content controls covering bullying and material about eating disorders and self-harm
- Parental controls the agreement calls stronger and easier to use
- Limits on social comparison features, including "like" counts
