Meta has agreed to a landmark settlement worth up to $17.1 billion that will introduce sweeping new restrictions for teenagers using Facebook and Instagram in the United States.
The agreement follows allegations from a coalition of US states that Meta deliberately designed its platforms to keep children and teenagers hooked, failed to adequately protect young users and improperly collected personal information from children.
Meta has denied wrongdoing, but under the proposed agreement, the company will introduce major changes to how young people use its social media platforms. The settlement is still subject to judicial approval.
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Two-hour daily limit for teenagers
One of the biggest changes will be a mandatory combined two-hour daily usage limit for users under 18 on Facebook and Instagram.
The time limit will apply across both platforms, meaning time spent scrolling on Instagram and Facebook will count toward the same two-hour allowance.
Teenagers will not be able to simply switch off the restriction themselves. According to Meta, disabling the limit will require permission from a parent.
The company will also introduce prompts designed to interrupt prolonged use. Teen users will receive reminders after 15 minutes of continuous activity, as well as additional prompts when their total daily usage reaches 60 and 90 minutes.
Facebook and Instagram to be blocked at night
The settlement will also introduce a default Night Mode for teenagers.
Under the new rules, Facebook and Instagram will be blocked between midnight and 6 a.m., preventing young users from viewing or posting content during those hours.
The measure is intended to reduce late-night social media use and encourage healthier sleeping habits among teenagers.
Meta will also introduce a School Mode that will mute most push notifications between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Direct messages and important account safety notifications will still be allowed during school hours.
Parents to receive greater control
The agreement will give parents and guardians greater control over how teenagers use Facebook and Instagram.
Parents will be able to manage certain settings and decide whether their children can change some of the restrictions.
Meta will also provide teenagers with access to non-personalized feeds, giving them an alternative to recommendation systems that continuously tailor content based on their activity.
The move could represent a significant change to the way young users interact with Meta’s platforms, where algorithmic recommendations currently play a major role in determining what users see.
Stronger age verification
Another major part of the settlement involves age assurance.
Meta will be required to strengthen measures designed to identify users under 18 and prevent children under 13 from accessing its platforms.
The company says the new protections will automatically apply to under-18 users in participating US states and territories once the settlement receives judicial approval.
The agreement also includes restrictions on features considered potentially harmful to young users, including public like counts and certain cosmetic-procedure filters.
An independent third-party auditor will monitor Meta’s compliance with the settlement.
How much will Meta pay?
The financial terms have been described slightly differently depending on how the agreement is presented.
Several state attorneys general describe the settlement as worth up to $17.1 billion, while Meta’s own announcement refers to approximately $18 billion in payments over 10 years. The difference reflects conditions attached to part of the agreement.
Participating states are expected to receive approximately $12.7 billion over the decade.
Another roughly $5.3 billion could become available if YouTube and TikTok introduce comparable protections and make matching payments under the terms outlined by Meta.
California is expected to receive between approximately $1.5 billion and $2.1 billion from the settlement, according to state officials.
Meta calls for industry-wide action
Meta’s chief legal officer, CJ Mahoney, said the company wants the new measures to become an industry-wide standard.
Meta has called on TikTok and YouTube to introduce similar restrictions, arguing that teenagers move between multiple social media platforms and that protections on only one service would have limited impact.
The company said it cannot solve the issue alone and wants its competitors to adopt comparable safety measures.
Lawsuit accused Meta of harming children
The legal battle centred on allegations that Meta knowingly designed features that encouraged young people to spend excessive amounts of time on its platforms.
The states also accused the company of misleading the public about the safety of Facebook and Instagram.
Another major allegation involved the collection and use of personal data belonging to children under 13 without appropriate parental consent, potentially violating federal children’s privacy protections.
The agreement brings the high-profile federal trial to an end, although Meta continues to face other lawsuits involving allegations about the impact of social media on children and teenagers.
A major change for social media
The settlement represents one of the biggest financial agreements involving a technology company and child safety.
For parents, the proposed changes could provide greater control over how much time their children spend on Facebook and Instagram.
For Meta, however, the agreement marks a major shift in the way its platforms will operate for young users.
If approved by the court, the new restrictions could reshape teenage social media habits and potentially influence how other technology companies design services for children.
The settlement could therefore become a major turning point in the growing global debate over social media addiction, children’s privacy and the responsibility of technology companies to protect young users online.
For the company’s official announcement and details of the agreement, visit Meta’s official website.
