Meta Platforms agreed on August 26, 2026 to pay up to $17 billion over 10 years and to overhaul how teenagers use Instagram and Facebook, settling a lawsuit brought by more than 40 states, the District of Columbia, and several territories over claims its platforms fueled social media addiction among young people. The company will roll out a two-hour default daily time limit across both apps, block access between midnight and 6 a.m., mute notifications during school hours, hide like counts, and offer a non-algorithmic feed option. Meta said most default protections will launch within six months, while stricter age-verification tools will take up to a year to build. Teens make up less than 1% of Meta's revenue, so the new restrictions should have a limited direct effect on current advertising revenue, though the changes could weaken engagement metrics and push younger users toward TikTok and YouTube. Florida is pursuing separate litigation, and Meta still faces other active lawsuits over social-media harms.
Meta Platforms Inc.Meta agreed to pay up to $17B and overhaul teen features on Instagram/Facebook to settle a multistate addiction lawsuit, with new default time limits and restrictions that could weaken engagement.
Salesforce.com IncMeta's new teen restrictions could push younger users toward TikTok.
Meta's new teen restrictions could push younger users toward YouTube.
