Meta Agrees to $18B Settlement Over Child Safety Rules in 29 States
Meta settles for $18 billion with 29 states over child safety on its platforms, spanning a decade.
Why it matters: This deal creates new child safety requirements that legal teams must factor into compliance and risk strategies. It signals tighter regulation of how tech companies manage minors’ data and engagement.
- Meta's $18 billion settlement involves 29 U.S. states addressing teen mental health harms on Facebook and Instagram.
- New rules require a default two-hour daily time limit for users under 18 and disabling notifications during school hours.
- $5.3 billion of the payout depends on YouTube and TikTok adopting similar safety measures, aiming for an industry standard.
- Florida opted out, calling the deal insufficient, while New Mexico’s AG hailed it as a historic child protection win.
Meta has agreed to an $18 billion settlement with 29 U.S. states to resolve allegations that Facebook and Instagram were designed to be addictive and harmful to teenagers' mental health, according to the New Mexico Attorney General’s office. The agreement will last a decade and establishes new child safety requirements on the platforms.
As part of the settlement, Meta must enforce a default two-hour daily time limit for users under 18. It also will disable push notifications—alerts that encourage users to open the apps—during school hours to help reduce distractions, according to a statement from Meta's spokesperson. The company emphasized the importance of safe experiences for teens on its platforms.
A significant portion of the settlement—$5.3 billion—is contingent on other major social media platforms, including YouTube and TikTok, agreeing to enact similar child safety measures and financial commitments. This condition seeks to promote a broader industry-wide shift rather than isolating Meta.
Reactions vary among states: New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez called the deal a "historic victory for every child and family who has paid the price for Meta's choice to put profits over kids' safety" (NM AG comments). In contrast, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier opted out, stating the agreement was insufficient to address the issues in a public statement.
This settlement sets a precedent for increased regulatory oversight of how tech companies engage with minors. Legal and compliance teams should prepare to reassess policies on data privacy, platform design, and user engagement to meet evolving child protection standards.
By the numbers:
- $18 billion — Total settlement amount with 29 states over 10 years
- 2 hours — Default daily screen time limit for users under 18
- $5.3 billion — Portion contingent on other platforms adopting similar safety rules
Yes, but: Florida's decision to opt out highlights ongoing disagreements over the sufficiency and enforcement of child safety measures in the tech sector.
What's next: States and social media platforms may negotiate further agreements as the $5.3 billion contingent payout depends on industry-wide adoption of safety standards.