Meta Agrees to Over $17 Billion Settlement and Child-Safety Reforms

Meta agreed to a proposed settlement with 47 states, Washington, D.C., and three U.S. territories over alleged harms to young Facebook and Instagram users, subject to court approval. State officials value payments at more than $17 billion over 10 years, while Meta describes approximately $18 billion including related components; the company denies liability. Required protections include a default two-hour combined daily limit, overnight blocking, school-hour notification controls, age assurance, under-13 account removal and stronger parental tools. The agreement also calls for usage pauses, hidden like counts, restrictions on cosmetic-surgery filters and independent audits.