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Meta reaches $16.68 billion settlement over social media harms to children

The deal ends a federal trial and requires new teen protections, including daily time caps and overnight blocks, if a judge approves it.

  • On Wednesday, Meta Platforms reached a landmark $17 billion settlement with 47 U.S. states, ending a high-stakes federal trial over allegations that Instagram and Facebook harmed children.
  • The agreement resolves a 2023 lawsuit filed by a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general who accused Meta of designing addictive features that fueled youth mental health crises while concealing internal research.
  • Under the settlement, Meta must implement a two-hour daily time limit, nighttime blocks from midnight to 6 a.m., and disable notifications during school hours, with an independent auditor overseeing compliance.
  • About $5.3 billion of the payout remains contingent on TikTok and YouTube adopting identical safety measures and matching the same payment, with Meta arguing industry-wide adoption is essential for effectiveness.
  • While state officials hailed the settlement as a major victory, child safety experts and former employees remain skeptical, contending that independent evidence testing these design limits' effectiveness remains thin.
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Meta will pay up to $18 billion due to the harm of social networks for children: what will be changed on Facebook and Instagram for teenagersMeta will pay up to $18 billion and tighten restrictions for minors on Facebook and Instagram. The company has not admitted guilt.

·Kyiv, Ukraine
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Ckpg TodayCkpg Today
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New child safety measures Meta pledged in U.S. settlement not coming to Canada

OTTAWA — New child protection measures Meta has promised as part of a massive legal settlement in the United States won’t be implemented in Canada. A spokesperson for Meta says the changes to its Facebook and Instagram platforms announced today are spe...

·Prince George, Canada
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Lean Right

Meta is accused of making children addicted to its services and is forced to pay 160 billion kronor in a unique settlement. The company also agrees to impose several restrictions on young users, including a nighttime block.

·Stockholm, Sweden
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stern.destern.de
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Deutsches ÄrzteblattDeutsches Ärzteblatt
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In order to protect children and young people, extensive changes are planned in the online networks Instagram and Facebook - but for the time being only in the USA. The parent company Meta made the concessions on Wednesday in comparison with US states. Mark Zuckerberg's company also wants to pay up to 16.7 billion dollars (14.3 billion euros) in this context.The company said that time restrictions on the use of Instagram and Facebook by minors a…

·Hamburg, Germany
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Breitbart broke the news in Los Angeles, United States on Wednesday, August 26, 2026.
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