Meta to Pay $17 Billion to Settle Children's Privacy Lawsuit, Restricting Teens' Social Media Access at Specific Times

Meta has reached a settlement with multiple U.S. states over a children's privacy and consumer protection case, agreeing to pay nearly $16.

7 billion to the states. The company will also impose a series of social media usage restrictions on teenage users, including a daily limit of no more than two hours. The most far-reaching settlement terms involve Meta implementing new safeguards that will substantially alter how social media operates for youth.

One key change is a "nighttime block" feature: by default, teens will be unable to access Facebook and Instagram from midnight to 6 a.m. Additionally, teen accounts will have a default daily cumulative usage limit of two hours across all Meta-owned social media platforms.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/aug/26/meta-social-media-addiction-trial-settlement https://www.zaobao.com.sg/news/world/story20260826-9580594