Meta settles 29-state youth case for up to $16.68bn

This article was published on August 26, 2026 Meta has agreed to pay a maximum of $16.68bn to settle claims from 29 US states that it designed Facebook and Instagram to addict children. The deal, struck in the second week of the Oakland trial, brings daily usage limits and nighttime blocks for teenagers across the United States. Meta has agreed to pay a maximum of $16.68bn to settle claims brought by states across the country. They alleged the company designed Facebook and Instagram to addict children, misled consumers about their safety, and improperly collected the personal data of children who used its platforms. Diana Novak Jones reported the figure for Reuters on Wednesday, from the court papers. The two sides struck the agreement during the trial itself, now in its second week at the federal court in Oakland, California. It averts the rest of that trial. Meta denied wrongdoing in agreeing to settle. Meta shares rose 4.4% in pre-market trading, Reuters reported. A court filing released on Wednesday sets out the terms. It describes them as a proposed consent judgement. Meta will introduce daily usage limits and nighttime blocks for teenage users of Facebook and Instagram, natio