Meta to pay up to $18bn to settle child harm claims

Meta has agreed to pay up to $18 billion to settle a landmark series of lawsuits brought by US states alleging that Instagram and Facebook cause serious harm to children's mental health, according to reports from a California federal court trial on Wednesday.

Scope of the settlement

The agreement covers claims brought by dozens of US states whose attorneys general argued that Meta deliberately designed its platforms to be addictive to young users, contributing to rising rates of anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions among teenagers. The exact final figure will depend on conditions tied to the settlement terms. Meta has not publicly admitted wrongdoing as part of the agreement.

Mounting pressure on social media

The settlement represents one of the largest corporate payouts related to social media harms to date. US lawmakers have been pushing for stricter regulation of online platforms' effects on minors, and this case had been closely watched as a test of tech companies' liability for design choices that shape user experience.

Meta has previously introduced measures aimed at protecting younger users, including restrictions on certain features for under-18 accounts, but critics argued these steps were insufficient given the scale of harm alleged.