OAKLAND, Calif. — Meta agreed Wednesday to pay up to $18 billion and adopt new child-safety measures on Facebook and Instagram, settling claims brought by attorneys general in nearly every U.S. state that the company designed its platforms to addict children and teenagers, according to court filings and statements from state officials.
The settlement resolves a federal trial that began last week in Oakland, California, before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers. It covers claims originally filed in 2023 by a bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general, led by California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey, who alleged Meta knowingly designed Instagram's features to be addictive while internally documenting resulting mental health harms, and that it collected children's data without parental consent in violation of federal privacy law. Meta has not admitted wrongdoing.
Financial Payout Breakdown
Of the total, approximately $17.1 billion will go to settling states and territories, paid in annual installments over 10 years, with participating states receiving about $12.7 billion of that amount, according to Meta. Texas, which was not part of the multistate settlement, separately agreed to a $1 billion settlement, bringing Meta's combined payout to approximately $18 billion. California is expected to receive between $1.5 billion and $2.1 billion.
New Teen Safety Mandates
Under the settlement, Meta must impose a two-hour daily time limit for teenage users, restrict minors from accessing Facebook and Instagram overnight, and mute push notifications during school hours. The company also agreed to strengthen age-verification measures, expand parental controls, and limit features such as visible "like" counts and beauty filters. An independent auditor will assess Meta's compliance annually for five years.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who led the case, said Meta had "agreed to make massive transformations that will reduce the risk of harm from its platforms." Meta's chief legal officer, C.J. Mahoney, said the settlement's framework would "empower parents to easily manage how their children access our platforms," and the company called on other platforms, including TikTok and YouTube, to adopt similar measures.
Pending Court Approval
The settlement still requires court approval. Gonzalez Rogers called it "a good step forward" and indicated she expected to approve it. Meta continues to face separate lawsuits from individuals, school districts and other entities that are not resolved by this agreement.
Further reading and useful links
Reader questions
Frequently asked questions
How much is Meta paying to settle the social media addiction lawsuits?
Meta has agreed to pay up to $18 billion. Approximately $17.1 billion will go to a coalition of nearly every U.S. state, paid over 10 years, and an additional $1 billion was separately agreed upon with Texas.
What new safety features will Meta add for teenagers?
Meta is required to impose a two-hour daily time limit for teen users, restrict overnight access to Facebook and Instagram, mute push notifications during school hours, expand parental controls, and limit visible 'like' counts and beauty filters.
Did Meta admit to designing its platforms to addict children?
No. While the company agreed to the massive financial payout and significant structural changes to its platforms, Meta has not admitted to any wrongdoing in the settlement.
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