Meta to pay up to $16.7 billion to US states over teen harm settlement

Meta will pay up to $16.7 billion to US states as part of a settlement over allegations of harm to minors. The company must strengthen child and teen protections: limit time spent on feed, prohibit disabling certain safety settings without parental consent, improve age verification, and restrict teens' access to specific features. An independent auditor has been appointed to oversee compliance.

The lawsuits were filed in 2023 by 29 states. Authorities accused Meta of designing Facebook and Instagram to maximize child engagement and of collecting data from users under 13 without parental consent. Potential penalties could have reached $1.4 trillion. Meta denies the allegations.