“Meta agrees to major changes to Facebook and Instagram as it settles US trial over teen addiction for up to $17bn”, 26 August 2026

Meta reached an agreement to settle a landmark case brought by states across the US that accused the tech giant of addicting and harming children with dangerous products, according to a court filing released on Wednesday.

The agreement will require the social media company to pay up to $17bn. Meta agreed to establish safeguards for teenage users, including daily usage limits and nighttime blocks nationwide in the US… As part of the settlement, the company denies wrongdoing.

The jury trial, which took place in federal court in Oakland, California, began with opening statements just last week. California and 28 other US states sued the $1.36tn (£1tn) company for allegedly designing addictive products that lead to children being harmed. The states additionally claimed the social media company regularly collected data on children under the age of 13…

Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Meta has denied all allegations throughout the proceedings, saying states are chasing an “outlandish payout”. A spokesperson said on Tuesday that Meta’s safety teams strive to be industry-leading and the company does research to find ways to improve user experience…