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Oakland: Meta has agreed to pay $US17 billion ($24 billion) and add child safety measures to its Facebook and Instagram platforms to end a landmark trial over teen social media addiction and settle claims filed by 47 states in the US, state attorneys general announced on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey were among 29 states that sued the tech giant in 2023, but the deal cuts short the trial, which was expected to see chief executive Mark Zuckerberg take the stand<\/a> before a jury in federal court in California.<\/p>\n The agreement is worth $US353 million ($492 million) in Virginia alone and is one of the biggest in state consumer protection history, Attorney General Jay Jones said in a statement.<\/p>\n \u201cFor years, Meta intentionally deceived the public about the addictive and harmful design features that have wreaked havoc on youth mental health,\u201d Jones said. The settlement \u201cwill put an end to these dangerous practices and deliver meaningful relief that will protect children from online harm\u201d.<\/p>\n Meta did not respond immediately to a request for comment. The $US17 billion ($24 billion) settlement is a fraction of the company\u2019s 2025 revenue of $US201 billion ($280 billion).<\/p>\n The lawsuit accused Meta of contributing to the youth mental health crisis by deliberately designing features that addict children to its platforms and hiding them from the public. It also argued that Meta violated federal laws by routinely collecting data on children under 13 without their parents\u2019 consent.<\/p>\n The trial kicked off last week in Oakland, California, with US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers overseeing the proceedings. Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, began his testimony late on Tuesday and defended Meta\u2019s record and progress on child safety and privacy.<\/p>\n The cases in other states had been expected to go to trial later. In addition, nine attorneys general filed lawsuits in their respective states.<\/p>\n Under the proposed settlement, Meta agreed to adopt a series of safety features, including a \u201chard cap\u201d on daily time limits and pauses for children using Instagram and Facebook.<\/p>\n It will eliminate push notifications during weekday school hours and bring in \u201crobust\u201d age assurance measures and \u201cage-appropriate\u201d content controls to prevent bullying and harmful material about eating disorders and self-harm.<\/p>\n Related Article There will be stronger and more user-friendly parental controls and limits on social comparison features such as \u201clike\u201d counts.<\/p>\n The federal lawsuit was the result of an investigation led by a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general from California, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Vermont. It followed newspaper reports, first by The Wall Street Journal in 2021, that found that the company knew about the harm Instagram can cause teenagers \u2013 especially teen girls \u2013 when it comes to mental health and body image issues.<\/p>\n Meta has since added a host of safety features to Instagram, including separate accounts for teenagers with stronger protections around messaging and privacy, along with content restrictions.<\/p>\n But child safety experts, along with some former Meta employees, have long contended that the features are little more than window dressing.<\/p>\n Related Article Arturo B\u00e9jar, a former Meta engineering director, said during his testimony last week that Meta consistently prioritised profits over safety in designing its products, focusing on how often and for how long people used them, even if it was detrimental to their mental well-being.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you step away from the product, they are not going to make any money,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n While the four states in the Oakland trial did not officially say how much they had been seeking, Meta said in a court filing that financial penalties in the case could amount to as much as $US1.4 trillion ($1.95 trillion) \u2013 a figure legal experts said was unlikely, if not impossible.<\/p>\n AP<\/p>\n The Business Briefing newsletter delivers major stories, exclusive coverage and expert opinion. Sign up to get it every weekday morning<\/a>.<\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n![\"Meta](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/c1950ca10c675af4c94e465c5c0851d383f2c2e2.jpeg\")
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, pictured in February, was expected to give evidence.Bloomberg<\/p>\n![\"Adam](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/80c154829444fd2ba7bee7ed48d37c2bc388b24d.jpeg\")
Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, leaving the courthouse on Tuesday.Bloomberg<\/p>\n![\"Meta](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/c1950ca10c675af4c94e465c5c0851d383f2c2e2.jpeg\")
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