Meta settlement changes Instagram and Facebook after states accused the company of designing addictive features that harmed children and teenagers. The agreement resolves claims involving 47 states and several U.S. territories, while Meta denies wrongdoing and avoids continuing a trial.
Under the settlement, Meta will impose a two-hour daily limit across Instagram and Facebook for users younger than eighteen. Children will also face nighttime access blocks between midnight and six a.m., alongside additional restrictions during school hours.
Parents will receive stronger controls, allowing them to manage access and supervise their children’s experiences across Meta’s platforms more closely. Meta must strengthen age verification measures to identify younger users and remove accounts belonging to children under thirteen from platforms.
The company will also restrict visible like counts and beauty filters for minors, addressing concerns about social comparison and mental health. Users under eighteen will gain access to less personalized feeds, reducing algorithmic recommendations designed around individual engagement patterns.
Meta will introduce stronger protections against bullying, eating disorder material, suicide-related content, and other harmful material targeting young users. An independent auditor will regularly assess whether Meta follows the agreement and whether the new protections effectively safeguard children online.
The settlement could cost Meta up to $17 billion, with final amounts depending on provisions involving other major platforms. Meta settlement discussions followed a three-year legal battle, with states accusing the company of prioritizing engagement over children’s wellbeing.
The reforms mark a major shift in platform design, following years of legal pressure surrounding youth safety and privacy concerns.
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