Meta $17B settlement targets youth social media use

BOSTON — Meta has agreed to a historic $17 billion settlement over allegations that Facebook and Instagram were designed to attract and retain young users through addictive platform features, prompting sweeping new safety requirements for teens.

“This landmark settlement underscores a simple truth: young people should not have to bear the burden of fixing products that were designed to capture their attention and oftentimes exploit them,” Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell said during a Wednesday news conference.

Campbell joined a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general that sued Meta, alleging the company’s social media platforms contributed to the youth mental health crisis through features designed to keep young users engaged.

“Increased anxiety and depression, cyberbullying, disrupted sleep, and so much more,” Campbell said, describing the harms alleged in the case.

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The settlement will require major changes to how teens use Facebook and Instagram.

Under the agreement, children under 13 will not be permitted on either platform. Accounts belonging to users ages 13 to 18 will automatically be set to private. Meta also will be required to implement new features aimed at limiting time spent on the apps and reducing excessive use.

Among the required changes:

• A daily two-hour time limit.
• A night mode that blocks access to the apps from midnight to 6 a.m.
• A school mode that mutes notifications from midnight to 3 p.m.
• Hidden likes and reactions so teens cannot see engagement totals on posts.
• The removal of cosmetic surgery and extreme makeup filters for teen users.

Meta will have one year to implement the new safety features. An independent auditor will monitor compliance and hold the company accountable for maintaining the changes.

As part of the settlement, Massachusetts is guaranteed to receive $366 million. Campbell said the funds will be used to expand youth crisis intervention and mental health services, support after-school and outdoor programs, and help advance phone-free school initiatives.

Meta released a statement Wednesday supporting broader adoption of the changes across the social media industry.

“We want to ensure teens benefit from this new industry standard, but we cannot do it alone. These protections will only be truly effective if we work with our peers — TikTok and YouTube — to put the same measures in place,” the company said.

The settlement also ends ongoing trial in Oakland, California against Meta and keeps CEO Mark Zuckerberg from testifying.

Campbell called the agreement the largest consumer protection settlement in history outside of the tobacco settlements of the 1990s.

Massachusetts continues to pursue separate legal action against TikTok, alleging that the platform is also designed to addict young users.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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