Key Takeaways
Meta agreed to a proposed settlement worth up to $16.68 billion, paid to the states over ten years, ending the social media addiction trial in Oakland federal court. California alone will receive $1.5 billion to $2.1 billion.
The deal imposes a default two-hour daily limit and a block between midnight and 6am for users under 18 that only a parent can lift, plus bans on visible like counts and cosmetic-surgery filters for minors and an independent auditor.
A bipartisan coalition of 51 attorneys general joined the settlement, which lands mid-trial two weeks after a New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay $567 million in a separate youth-harm case.
Meta agreed Tuesday to a proposed settlement worth up to $16.68 billion to resolve claims that it engineered Facebook and Instagram to hook children, California Attorney General Rob Bonta and a bipartisan coalition of 51 attorneys general announced. The deal was disclosed mid-trial in Oakland federal court and still needs court approval. Payments run to the states over ten years, and California will receive between $1.5 billion and $2.1 billion.
Bonta framed it as protection that arrives fast rather than after years of appeals.
"make social media less dangerous for our kids"
Rob Bonta, Attorney General, California
The injunctive terms are the real story. Under-18 accounts get a default two-hour daily limit and a block between midnight and 6am that only a parent can lift, notifications go dark overnight and during the school day, and Meta must drop visible like counts and cosmetic-procedure filters for minors, CNBC reported. If rival platforms adopt similar rules, the daily cap falls to one hour. An independent auditor will oversee compliance, and Meta must answer 90% of harmful-content reports within six hours.
None of this is new for Meta, and that is the point. Two weeks ago a New Mexico judge ordered the company to pay $567 million in a separate youth-harm case, and the settlement lands days after the states opened their case at the Oakland trial. It follows the Ninth Circuit ruling this month that Section 230 does not shield platforms from youth addiction claims, which cleared the way for juries to hear these suits at all. Meta denied wrongdoing and urged rivals to match the changes.
People Also Ask
How much is Meta paying in the social media settlement?
Up to $16.68 billion over ten years to the states, with California receiving between $1.5 billion and $2.1 billion. The proposed deal still needs court approval.
What screen time limits does the Meta settlement require?
A default two-hour daily limit and a block between midnight and 6am for users under 18 that only a parent can lift, plus overnight and school-hour notification blocks.
How many states joined the Meta social media settlement?
A bipartisan coalition of 51 attorneys general, including states, the District of Columbia and US territories, joined the proposed settlement announced by California's Rob Bonta.
Why was Meta sued over Facebook and Instagram?
The states alleged Meta designed addictive features that harmed children's mental health and illegally collected data from users under 13, violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.