Meta pays 17 billion dollars to settle state addiction lawsuit
Business · 26 August 2026
Written by AI from multiple news reports
Meta has agreed to pay up to $17.1 billion to settle a lawsuit brought by 47 US states and territories. The states accused Meta of making Instagram and Facebook deliberately addictive for children and hiding the mental health risks. The settlement ends a federal trial in Oakland that had been expected to include testimony from CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
Under the agreement, Meta must introduce several child-safety measures. These include daily time limits, fewer push notifications, stronger age checks, and non-personalised feeds for users under 18. California alone will receive up to $2.1 billion.
About one-third of the payment depends on YouTube and TikTok introducing similar protections. The settlement still needs approval from Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers.