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NewsWSVN 7 News MiamiAugust 26, 2026Miami-Dade

Meta agrees to $18 billion settlement with 48 states over teen social media addiction

Meta has agreed to pay up to $18 billion over 10 years and implement new child-safety features on Facebook and Instagram to settle lawsuits from 48 states, Washington, D.C., and U.S. territories. The agreement requires Meta to introduce parental controls, time limits, and content restrictions, while ending litigation regarding the company's role in youth mental health issues.

technologymental healthchild safetylegal settlementsocial media
Read the full story at WSVN 7 News Miami

Why It Matters

This settlement provides funding for youth mental health programs and mandates specific platform changes for millions of teen users across the U.S. to address concerns about addictive features and online safety.

Key Facts

  • Meta will pay up to $18 billion over 10 years to settle claims from 48 states, D.C., and territories.
  • California will receive at least $1.5 billion of the settlement funds.
  • Meta must implement two-hour daily time limits for teens that require parental permission to disable.
  • Push notifications will be disabled during weekday school hours.
  • Meta will introduce age-assurance measures and content controls to prevent bullying and self-harm material.
  • An independent auditor will monitor Meta's implementation of safety features.
  • Approximately $5.3 billion of the settlement is conditional on competitors YouTube and TikTok adopting similar safety measures.
  • New Mexico and Florida are the only states not included in the settlement.
  • The settlement resolves lawsuits from 29 states filed in 2023 and others.
  • Meta's 2025 revenue was $201 billion.
  • The agreement includes a nighttime block feature for teen accounts.

Who's Mentioned

organizationMeta“The tech company settling the lawsuit.”personMark Zuckerberg“CEO of Meta.”personVictoria Hinks“Parent of a deceased teenager.”personJames Uthmeier“Florida Attorney General.”personRob Bonta“California Attorney General.”personSacha Haworth“Executive Director of The Tech Oversight Project.”personJay Jones“Virginia Attorney General.”