Meta has agreed to pay about $18 billion to settle claims brought by US states over the safety of Facebook and Instagram, while introducing significant new restrictions aimed at protecting children and teenagers.
The agreement resolves allegations that Meta deliberately designed its platforms to encourage addictive use, misled consumers about their safety and improperly collected personal information from children. Meta has denied wrongdoing as part of the settlement.
The changes announced in the United States include a two-hour daily usage limit for teenagers, with parental permission required to disable it. Facebook and Instagram will also be blocked by default between midnight and 6am, while a school mode will mute notifications between 8am and 3pm.
Teenagers will receive reminders after every 15 minutes of continuous use and when daily activity reaches 60 and 90 minutes. They will also have the option of using a feed that does not rely on algorithmic recommendations.
Meta said young users will be able to disable autoplay, while likes and reactions will be hidden by default. Cosmetic surgery and extreme makeup filters will also be restricted.
The company said it would strengthen systems designed to identify and remove accounts belonging to children under 13.
The financial settlement follows several lawsuits, including claims from California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey that Meta violated consumer protection laws. Twenty-nine states also accused the company of breaching children’s privacy protections.
Meta expects to pay the $18 billion to states over 10 years, with 70% distributed during that period. The remaining 30% will depend on conditions involving YouTube and TikTok, including the introduction of similar child safety measures and financial contributions.
The settlement could have been considerably more expensive. Before the California trial began, Meta said the states were seeking as much as $1.4 trillion in penalties.
The agreement has also prompted questions about whether similar restrictions could be introduced in Ireland and elsewhere in Europe.
Meta said the new protections would automatically apply to under-18 users in participating US states and territories but did not provide additional information about extending the measures to Ireland.
Some protections are already available to young users in the European Union. The European Commission has also been investigating Meta under the Digital Services Act.
Last month, the Commission accused Meta of using features on Facebook and Instagram that could encourage excessive engagement. It said the company should consider disabling autoplay and infinite scrolling by default, introduce effective screen-time breaks and reduce the emphasis on engagement in recommendation systems.
Tánaiste Simon Harris said the US settlement should encourage social media companies to introduce stronger protections for young people worldwide.
“Social responsibility should not have to be compelled in court,” he said, adding that the settlement should become a turning point for online safety.
Noeline Blackwell of the Children’s Rights Alliance welcomed the additional restrictions but said more needed to be done, particularly regarding recommendation algorithms.
The settlement therefore puts further pressure on technology companies to change how their platforms are designed for young users, while European regulators continue to pursue their own investigations and enforcement measures.
