- Meta has agreed to pay $17 billion and add child-safety measures to its Facebook and Instagram platforms to settle claims filed by 47 states over teen social media addiction.
- The settlement cuts short a trial that was expected to see CEO Mark Zuckerberg before a jury in federal court in California, with U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers overseeing proceedings.
- Under the proposed settlement, Meta agreed to adopt safety features including a hard cap on daily time limits, pauses for children, eliminating push notifications during school hours, robust age-assurance measures, age-appropriate content controls, stronger parental controls, and limits on social comparison features like like counts.
- The lawsuit accused Meta of contributing to the youth mental health crisis by deliberately designing addictive features and hiding them, and of violating federal laws by collecting data on children under 13 without parental consent.
- The agreement is worth $353 million in Virginia alone and is one of the biggest in state consumer protection history, according to Attorney General Jay Jones.
- Attorney General Jay Jones accused Meta of intentionally deceiving the public about harmful design features, stating the settlement will end these practices and protect children from online harm.
- Meta stated it is building on efforts to empower parents and support teens, and that ensuring a safe experience is an absolute imperative, having partnered with state attorneys general to set a new industry standard.
- The $17 billion settlement is a fraction of Meta’s 2025 revenue of $201 billion.
Meta's $17 billion settlement is one of the largest in state consumer protection history, addressing claims that the company contributed to a youth mental health crisis through its platform designs.17815
Attorney General Jay Jones stated, "For years, Meta intentionally deceived the public about the addictive and harmful design features that have wreaked havoc on youth mental health."9
The settlement will enforce new safety measures, including a “hard cap” on daily time limits and pauses for children using Instagram and Facebook.456
Additionally, Meta will eliminate push notifications during school hours and implement “robust” age-assurance measures to prevent exposure to harmful content.
The agreement also includes stronger parental controls and limits on social comparison features like “like” counts.
Meta emphasized its commitment to improving safety, stating, “Ensuring teens have a safe and productive experience on our platforms is an absolute imperative for Meta.”
The lawsuit accused Meta of violating federal laws by collecting data on children under 13 without parental consent, further complicating its legal standing.
The $17 billion settlement represents a small fraction of Meta's projected 2025 revenue of $201 billion, highlighting the financial implications of the agreement.
The trial, overseen by U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, was set to feature CEO Mark Zuckerberg, but the settlement has now cut it short, marking a significant moment in the ongoing scrutiny of social media's impact on youth.23
“The settlement includes a hard cap on daily time limits, pauses for children, and eliminating push notifications during school hours. Virginia alone receives $353 million, and the deal is a fraction of Meta's 2025 revenue of $201 billion.”
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