Meta Settles 29-State Teen Safety Case for Up to $18 Billion, Accepts 2-Hour Limits
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Oct 8
Meta Settles 29-State Teen Safety Case for Up to $18 Billion, Accepts 2-Hour Limits
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Oct 8
Summary
$18 billion is the maximum Meta will pay to settle a California case brought by 29 states alleging it knowingly built addictive, harmful products for minors.
The deal also forces major product changes: under-18s will face two-hour daily limits on Instagram and Facebook, school-hour and nighttime blocks, disabled autoplay and stronger parental controls.
Arturo Béjar, a former Instagram wellbeing consultant who testified in the August trial, said internal data showed widespread teen harm and that Meta had long resisted fixes despite knowing the risks.
Meta denied wrongdoing and said it has spent years building teen-safety tools, but the settlement marks a rare agreement to reduce time spent on its platforms.
The case adds to mounting legal pressure after Meta's $942 million New Mexico loss in March, with more lawsuits pending and regulation tightening globally.