Meta settles US states' child safety suit for $18bn, adds teen protections
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Meta agreed on Wednesday to pay $18bn to settle a lawsuit brought by 29 US states over child safety failures on Facebook and Instagram. The settlement includes increased protections for young users, but parents who lost children to social media harms questioned whether the deal hides evidence.
Key Facts
- Meta settled the lawsuit brought by 29 US states for $18bn on Wednesday.
- The settlement includes increased protections for young users on Facebook and Instagram.
- The trial began on August 18 and was expected to last six weeks before the settlement.
- Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri testified that only 1 to 2 percent of children used the teen break feature added in 2024.
- Erin Popolo's daughter Emily died by suicide at 17 after cyberbullying on social media.
Settlement Terms
Meta agreed to pay $18bn to settle the lawsuit filed by 29 US states over child safety on Facebook and Instagram. The settlement includes increased protections for young users, though specific measures were not detailed in the announcement. The states had sought up to $200bn in fines and changes to Meta's products and business practices. The trial began on August 18 and was expected to last six weeks before the settlement was reached.
Parent Reactions
Erin Popolo, whose daughter Emily died by suicide at 17 after cyberbullying, questioned what evidence Meta avoided revealing through the settlement. Mary Rodee, whose 15-year-old son died by suicide after online extortion, said the announced measures would not have protected him. Rodee criticized the settlement for not restricting advertising to minors or making algorithms transparent. She expressed hope for more cases against Meta and called for convictions and increased transparency.
Evidence and Testimony
The states' case included internal documents showing Meta executives knew of security loopholes in their platforms. Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri testified on Tuesday that Instagram added a pop-up feature to teen accounts in 2024 asking them to take a break. Mosseri confirmed that parents had no way of knowing that only 1 to 2 percent of children used this feature.
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Meta settles US states' child safety suit for $18bn, adds teen protections
