Meta settles teen-harm case for up to $18 billion over 10 years
What's new: The deal requires default time limits, muted overnight notifications and hidden likes for teen users on Facebook and Instagram.
Meta agreed to pay up to $18 billion over 10 years to settle a lawsuit by 52 US attorneys general who accused the company of designing Facebook and Instagram in ways that harmed children and teens. The agreement ends a federal trial and forces Meta to keep a set of youth-safety measures in place for a decade. Required changes include a default two-hour daily limit across Facebook and Instagram for known teen users, muted notifications from midnight to 6 a.m. and during school hours, and hidden likes on posts for teens. Meta did not admit wrongdoing. The settlement is among the biggest ever tied to online child safety and could intensify pressure on other platforms and regulators beyond the US.