Meta has agreed to pay around $17 billion to settle a lawsuit by 51 US states over allegations that Facebook and Instagram encouraged addictive use among children and teens. The deal includes screen-time limits, overnight restrictions, stronger parental controls and independent monitoring. Meta denied wrongdoing but supported the safety measures.
Meta has agreed to pay $17 billion to settle a landmark lawsuit brought by a coalition of state attorneys general, who accused the company of designing Instagram and Facebook to be addictive to children and teenagers, according to California Attorney General Rob Bonta's office.
States allege compulsive-use design, cover-up
The lawsuit, filed in 2023 and led by California along with Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey, argued that Meta built and rolled out features that encouraged compulsive use among young people, harming their mental and physical health. The attorneys general further alleged that the company misled users, families and the public about the extent of these risks, and that it unlawfully collected data from children under 13, in violation of laws including the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. Trial in the case began on August 18 in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, with a coalition of 51 attorneys general eventually reaching the proposed settlement, which still requires court approval.
Payout structure and new restrictions for teens
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