Meta reaches $18B settlement with states over child safety violations

Meta has agreed to pay up to $18 billion and overhaul teen safety features on Facebook and Instagram as part of a settlement with 47 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories.

The lawsuit filed by the state attorneys general alleged Meta knowingly designed its platforms to addict children despite awareness of the harms, and that it collected data from minors without parental consent in violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).