Meta will pay up to $18 billion to settle states' lawsuit alleging harms to young users

Meta will pay up to $18 billion to settle state lawsuits alleging addictive design of Facebook and Instagram and unlawful collection of children’s data, while denying wrongdoing. The agreement imposes a default two-hour daily limit for users under 18, nighttime blocks, usage prompts, non-algorithmic feeds, disabled likes and other safeguards. Seventy percent of the settlement funds will support state online-safety programs; the remaining 30 percent depends on comparable commitments from YouTube and TikTok.