Meta has agreed to a comprehensive settlement resolving child-safety claims with 47 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Puerto Rico. The agreement requires the technology giant to impose strict daily time limits on users under 18 and pay up to $16.7 billion over ten years. This resolution cuts short a trial in which Meta argued that several state attorneys general were demanding damages exceeding $1.4 trillion.
New Usage Restrictions for Teens
Under the terms of the settlement, Meta will implement a default two-hour daily time limit on Facebook and Instagram for users under 18. This limit is cumulative across both platforms; if a teen has multiple accounts, their total screen time counts toward this cap. To enforce compliance, teens can only turn off these limits with parental permission.
Additional safety measures include a default block between midnight and 6 am and a "school mode" that mutes notifications from 8 am to 3 pm. Meta stated it will also ban cosmetic procedure image filters for users under 18 and hide like counts on their feeds. The company must use age-verification systems, including ID checks and face analysis, to detect underage users.
Florida Rejects the Deal as "Peanuts"
Not all states accepted the terms. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier rejected the multi-state settlement, describing the payouts as "peanuts" compared to the harms caused by Meta's profit-driven features. In a statement on X, Uthmeier wrote that the deal is "a slap on the wrist for a trillion-dollar corp" and an insult to families affected by addiction.
Florida will proceed with its own legal actions rather than join this settlement. Conversely, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced a separate $1 billion settlement in his state's lawsuit against Meta. The primary settlement includes a clause that would reduce Meta’s payment by $5 billion if other major social media firms like TikTok and Snapchat agree to similar terms, more context in Florida Primary Elections Conclude as Federal Trial Opens Against Meta Over Addi.
Funds for Youth Services
The settlement funds can be used by states for various purposes, including youth crisis services, after-school programs, public health advertising, and mental health initiatives. California is slated to receive the largest share, ranging from $1.5 billion to $2.2 billion.
Meta continues to deny allegations that it designed products to foster compulsive use by children. The company reported revenue of $60.8 billion in the second quarter of 2026. An independent auditor will monitor Meta's compliance with these new safety standards, and the agreement requires a response to 90 percent of harmful content reports within six hours.
