PHILADELPHIA (AP/ KYW Newsradio) — Meta has agreed to pay $17 billion and add child safety measures to its Facebook and Instagram platforms to end a landmark trial over teen social media addiction and settle claims filed by 47 states, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware, state attorneys general announced on Wednesday.
California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey were among 29 states that sued the tech giant in 2023, but the deal cuts short the trial, which was expected to see CEO Mark Zuckerberg take the stand before a jury in federal court in California.
New Jersey was one of the states that led the lawsuit, taking Meta to federal court in California over claims that the company knowingly misrepresented and downplayed the risks and dangers children face from social media usage.
The settlement includes $525 million for the Garden State. California is expected to get at least $1.5 billion. Massachusetts said it was in line for at least $366 million. Virginia's share is worth $353 million. Pennsylvania will receive $516 million.
New Jersey claims big win
New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said Meta has agreed to their demands, including “stronger safety features, ongoing oversight [and] accountability.” Those changes include:
- A ban on displaying likes and reactions and using cosmetic filters, which are often linked to poor mental health outcomes.
- A daily two-hour limit (combined for Instagram and Facebook) for users under 18 that can be lifted only by a parent.
- Default blocks on notifications between midnight and 6 a.m., when kids should be sleeping.
- Limited school‑time access and limited push notifications during school hours.
- Better procedures to verify users’ ages.
- Safeguards against bullying, eating disorders, suicide and self-harm content.
- Enhanced parental controls.
Prosecutors argued that these features were designed to addict users to Facebook and Instagram.
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Davenport said in a statement:
As a parent, protecting your kids is always your North Star. And this agreement achieves critical protections for our children today. It would not have been possible without our amazing litigation team, who worked with their counterparts across the country to bring this groundbreaking case.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday added:
The days of Meta ignoring the damage its platforms cause kids are over — this is a landmark settlement that brings transformative changes to these hugely-popular social media spaces. ... We commend Meta for finally choosing this path of protecting kids, but our battle does not end here; we remain engaged with other social media and big tech companies to make changes, and we will not stand down.
A former engineering director at Meta testified last week that the company took a “don’t ask, don’t tell” approach to kids under 13 on its platforms. Meta has denied any wrongdoing or liability.
As part of the settlement, Meta will pay $12 billion up front. The settlement is still subject to court approval.
Meta urges rivals to adopt similar safety measures
Meta said in a blog post that it was “building on our longstanding efforts to empower parents and support teens.”
“Ensuring teens have a safe and productive experience on our platforms is an absolute imperative for Meta,” the company said. “We want to get this right for parents and teens, and that’s why we partnered with state attorneys general to set a new industry standard."
The company urged rivals TikTok and YouTube to adopt similar safety measures.
The $17 billion settlement is a fraction of Meta's 2025 revenue of $201 billion.
The money is to be paid out annually over 10 years to fund youth online safety initiatives. However, the company said 30% of that amount — about $5.3 billion — will only be released to states if rivals YouTube and TikTok meet two conditions: implementing similar safety features, including a one-hour daily time limit, a nighttime block and age-assurance measures; and paying the same amount, split between the two companies.
Meta agrees to add child safety measures to its platforms
Meta agrees to add child safety measures to its platforms
