26-08-2026
Instagram chief Adam Mosseri testified in a landmark US trial examining whether Meta designed Instagram and Facebook to be addictive to young users and misled the public about platform safety. Mosseri acknowledged that only a low-single-digit percentage of teenagers used Instagram’s “Take a Break” feature before it was enabled by default in September 2024. The feature prompts teenagers to leave the app after spending a set amount of time on it.
Mosseri denied that Instagram intentionally delayed making the tool a default setting. He said that most teenagers did not want the feature but that Instagram proceeded with it regardless. He also referenced a 2021 estimate that more than 90 percent of teenagers who activated the feature continued using it, while acknowledging that this figure applied only to users who had already enabled it and did not reflect the feature’s very low overall adoption rate. Mosseri admitted Meta had not disclosed that only about 1 or 2 percent of accounts had activated the feature.
The lawsuit was filed by 29 US states. California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey allege that Meta designed its services to keep young users engaged, contributing to anxiety, depression and suicide, while misrepresenting the platforms’ safety. All 29 states also accuse Meta of violating federal law by collecting and using personal information from children under 13. The states are seeking approximately $200bn in damages.
Former Meta employees testified that safety tools such as “Take a Break” and “Quiet Mode” were difficult to find and rarely used. Former engineering director Arturo Bejar called Take a Break a feature “designed to fail,” while data scientist George Volichenko said company leaders rejected enabling Quiet Mode by default for younger teenagers because doing so could significantly reduce user engagement.
The trial is expected to last six weeks. Jurors will issue an advisory verdict, while Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers will determine Meta’s liability, penalties and any required changes to Facebook and Instagram.
Entities: Adam Mosseri, Meta, Instagram, Facebook, 29 US states • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
26-08-2026
Meta Platforms has agreed to pay up to $18 billion US and make significant changes to Facebook and Instagram to settle lawsuits brought by U.S. states alleging that the company designed its platforms to addict children, misled consumers about safety, and improperly collected data from young users. Meta denied wrongdoing as part of the settlement, which was reached during a closely watched federal trial in California.
Under the agreement, Meta will restrict teenagers’ use of Facebook and Instagram to two hours per day for the next decade and block access between midnight and 6 a.m. unless parents provide consent. The company will also strengthen safeguards against children accessing age-restricted content. The restrictions could become stricter if other social media companies adopt similar measures. However, the settlement does not require Meta to eliminate personalized recommendations or targeted advertising, and it does not address certain content associated with body-image concerns.
The main settlement involves payments of more than $16.7 billion US to 47 states and several U.S. territories. Texas reached a separate agreement worth more than $1 billion. The total amount represents roughly three to four months of Meta’s profit. The agreement also resolves privacy lawsuits connected to the Cambridge Analytica scandal, with California, Illinois, New Mexico and Washington, D.C., receiving $459.3 million.
U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers approved the main settlement and described it as a positive step. The litigation included allegations that Meta violated consumer-protection laws and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act by collecting data from children without parental consent and using it to train artificial intelligence systems.
The settlement comes amid thousands of remaining lawsuits against Meta, Snap, YouTube, TikTok and their parent companies. State and federal cases continue to examine whether social media platforms knowingly use addictive designs that contribute to a youth mental-health crisis. Recent jury verdicts against Meta and YouTube have increased pressure on the industry to change its practices.
Entities: Meta Platforms, Facebook, Instagram, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: inform
26-08-2026
Meta has settled a major federal case brought by state attorneys general over allegations that it misrepresented the mental-health risks and addictive qualities of Facebook and Instagram for children. The case involved 29 states and was co-led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta and the attorneys general of Colorado, New Jersey and Kentucky. A court filing outlined a proposed consent judgment requiring Meta to introduce daily usage limits and nighttime blocks for teenagers, strengthen age-assurance measures to prevent children from using its platforms, and provide additional tools for parents and guardians. Northern District of California Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers approved the settlement later Wednesday, while the trial was suspended pending review of the agreement.
The settlement is described in several different ways. The headline amount is $16.7 billion, and California could receive between $1.5 billion and $2.1 billion. Texas was not part of the group settlement and separately agreed to a $1 billion payment. Some state attorneys general cited a $17.1 billion figure that includes more than $459 million related to a separate Cambridge Analytica matter. Meta, meanwhile, said the agreement includes approximately $18 billion, paid in annual installments over 10 years. Participating states would receive about $12.7 billion, while the remaining $5.3 billion would depend on YouTube and TikTok adopting comparable youth-safety measures and making matching payments.
Meta expects to record an approximately $10 billion legal expense in the third quarter of 2026. The settlement is the company’s largest, though it follows a New Mexico order requiring Meta to contribute $567 million to a child-safety abatement fund. Other personal-injury and school-district cases involving Meta and other social-media companies remain pending. Meta shares rose about 1%, while Snap shares fell more than 8%.
Entities: Meta Platforms, Facebook, Instagram, California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Colorado Attorney General • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: inform
26-08-2026
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has agreed to a proposed settlement worth as much as $16.7 billion with a coalition of 47 US states over allegations that its platforms contributed to teen addiction and harmed young people’s mental health. The agreement, filed in federal court in California, still requires judicial approval. Meta has denied wrongdoing, and the settlement does not constitute an admission of liability.
The proposal would introduce several restrictions for users under 18. Meta would impose a combined daily usage limit of two hours across its platforms, although parents could lift the restriction. Teen accounts would be suspended between midnight and 6 a.m. In a feature called “School Mode,” push notifications would be muted from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., except for direct messages and account safety or security alerts. Meta would also be required to identify and remove younger-than-permitted users, respond to 90% of teen reports involving potentially harmful content within six hours, and offer minors a non-personalized feed by default.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta described the agreement as a major expansion of child protections, while Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones accused Meta of deliberately concealing harmful and addictive design features. Meta said the settlement builds on its existing efforts to support parents and teenagers and was negotiated by both Republican and Democratic attorneys general.
The payments would reportedly be made in annual installments over 10 years. Meta said participating states would receive about 70% of the allocated amount, while the remainder would depend on TikTok and YouTube adopting comparable safeguards and making matching payments. If those companies participate, Meta said it would strengthen its own restrictions, including reducing the daily limit to one hour per app and extending overnight limits. Meta’s chief legal officer argued that an industry-wide approach is necessary because teenagers use multiple platforms.
Entities: Meta, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, TikTok • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: neutral • Intent: inform
26-08-2026
Meta has agreed to pay approximately US$18 billion to settle a major legal challenge brought by US states over alleged harms to children and teenagers using Facebook and Instagram. Under the agreement, Meta will pay up to US$16.7 billion to a coalition of 29 states, while a separate settlement with Texas raises the total payout to around US$18 billion. A federal judge approved the settlement shortly after it was filed, bringing an end to a landmark trial in California.
The states alleged that Meta intentionally designed its platforms to be addictive for young users, misled the public about the risks associated with social media, and illegally collected personal data from children under 13. The settlement also introduces broad new restrictions on how teenagers can access and use Facebook and Instagram. The article describes these measures as more extensive than any safety changes Meta has previously accepted.
The agreement follows years of criticism from parents and child-safety experts concerning the effects of major social media platforms on young people. Concerns about Instagram and Facebook extend to competing services such as Snapchat and TikTok, contributing to the adoption of age restrictions and school cellphone bans in various parts of the world.
Although the settlement resolves the states’ case, Meta continues to face thousands of personal-injury claims and lawsuits from school districts. The company is also urging TikTok and YouTube to adopt comparable protections for teenage users, indicating that the dispute is part of a wider debate over the responsibilities of social media companies toward children.
Entities: Meta, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
26-08-2026
Meta Platforms and attorneys-general from 29 US states have discussed a possible settlement in the second week of a federal trial accusing the company of deliberately designing Facebook and Instagram to addict teenagers and violate privacy laws. The case, being heard in Oakland, California, could expose Meta to penalties of up to US$1.4 trillion, according to the company’s own calculations, as well as mandatory changes to the way its platforms operate.
Four states—California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey—are leading claims that Meta knowingly created features encouraging compulsive and prolonged use by young people while misleading consumers about platform safety. The wider group of states alleges that Meta collected data from children under 13 in violation of the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. Meta denies the allegations, saying the states are demanding unreasonable design changes and an “outlandish payout.” Neither Meta nor the states publicly commented on the settlement discussions.
The trial has included testimony from Instagram head Adam Mosseri and current and former Meta employees involved in platform design and research into tools intended to reduce problematic use. Meta founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg may also testify.
The lawsuit is part of a wider international backlash against social media companies over concerns that their business models harm young users. Research increasingly links excessive screen time among children and teenagers to serious health risks. While governments in Australia and Europe have introduced or proposed restrictions on youth access, US legislative efforts have achieved limited results, making the courts a central arena for regulation.
Meta, Google, Snap and TikTok also face thousands of personal injury claims from US individuals and families, along with roughly 1,300 lawsuits brought by public school districts. A settlement would likely involve a substantially smaller payment than the potential trial penalties.
Entities: Meta Platforms, Facebook and Instagram, 29 US states and state attorneys-general, Oakland, California, California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey • Tone: analytical • Sentiment: negative • Intent: inform
