Meta settles teen safety case for up to $18 billion over 10 years
What's new: The deal adds default 2-hour limits, overnight notification muting and hidden likes for teen users on Instagram and Facebook.
Meta agreed to pay up to $18 billion over 10 years to settle a case over child safety on Instagram and Facebook, avoiding a bigger courtroom fight that had been expected to include CEO Mark Zuckerberg's testimony. The company did not admit wrongdoing. The settlement requires Meta to change how its apps work for younger users, including a default two-hour daily limit across Instagram and Facebook for known teens, muting notifications from midnight to 6 a.m. and on school days from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and hiding likes on posts for teens. The trial lasted five days and included testimony from former Instagram employee Arturo Bejar, who said he had warned company leaders about harmful content affecting children.