Tech giant Meta has agreed to pay $17 billion over ten years and institute sweeping child-safety features on Facebook and Instagram to settle claims brought by 47 states, abruptly ending a high-profile federal trial in Oakland, California.
The settlement resolves accusations that Meta deliberately engineered its platforms with addictive features that harmed young users’ mental health while concealing known risks from parents and the public. State attorneys general also alleged that Meta routinely collected data on children under 13 without parental consent in violation of federal law.
“For years, Meta intentionally deceived the public about the addictive and harmful design features that have wreaked havoc on youth mental health,” said Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones following the announcement. “This settlement will put an end to these dangerous practices and deliver meaningful relief that will protect children from online harm.”
The deal comes just days after the trial began under U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, cutting short scheduled testimony that was expected to include Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Instagram chief Adam Mosseri had begun testifying late Tuesday, defending the company’s safety record prior to the agreement.
Under the terms of the settlement, Meta will implement major mandatory safety changes for minor accounts, including:
- Usage Caps: Hard daily time limits and enforced usage pauses on Instagram and Facebook.
- School Hour Silencing: Complete elimination of push notifications during weekday school hours.
- Age Controls & Safety: Robust age-assurance protocols alongside content filters designed to block material related to bullying, self-harm, and eating disorders.
- Parental Controls & Design Limits: Enhanced tools for parents and new limits on social comparison features, including like counts.
The $17 billion payout will be distributed across participating states to fund youth online safety and mental health initiatives over the next decade.
Meta released a statement confirming the resolution, stating, “Ensuring teens have a safe and productive experience on our platforms is an absolute imperative for Meta. We want to get this right for parents and teens, and that’s why we partnered with state attorneys general to set a new industry standard.”
