What changes would Meta make to teen Facebook and Instagram accounts under the proposed settlement?

Teen accounts would default to a midnight-to-6:00 am local curfew, with messaging and settings still available in a stripped-down form. Daily use would default to two hours across Meta apps, notifications would be off from 10:00 pm to 7:00 am, and parents would have to approve any loosening of the limits.

Why did Meta agree to the proposed settlement with U.S. states?

The states accused Meta of designing Facebook and Instagram to hook children and of misleading users about safety. The settlement also resolves older claims tied to the Cambridge Analytica data scandal.

How much could Meta pay and who would oversee compliance?

Meta would pay about $11.7 billion in installments, plus up to $5 billion more if rival platforms adopt comparable agreements, along with separate payments for legal costs and older claims. A jointly chosen independent auditor would monitor the settlement for 10 years.

What could change for US teens on Instagram and Facebook

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Summary

Meta reached a proposed settlement Wednesday with U.S. states over claims it designed Facebook and Instagram to hook children. The deal would require judge approval and could total up to $16.7 billion, including payments for legal costs and older Cambridge Analytica claims. It also sets new teen account limits, including nighttime access blocks, time caps, notification curfews and stricter age checks. An independent auditor would monitor compliance for 10 years.

Key Facts

Meta would pay about $11.7 billion in 10 annual installments, with up to $5 billion more if rival platforms sign comparable agreements.
The company would also pay $75 million toward state legal costs and $459 million to settle older Cambridge Analytica-related claims.
Teen accounts would be locked out of Facebook and Instagram from midnight to 6:00 am local time by default within six months, and push notifications would be switched off from 10:00 pm to 7:00 am.
Meta has one year to deploy an age assurance system that must misidentify no more than 3 percent of 13- to 15-year-olds as adults and no more than 10 percent of 16- to 17-year-olds.
An independent auditor chosen jointly by Meta and a committee of states would monitor settlement compliance for 10 years.

By AFP

Published Aug 27, 2026 1:00 am KST

Facebook's new rebrand logo Meta is seen on smartpone in front of displayed logo of Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, Whatsapp, Oculus in this illustration picture taken Oct. 28, 2021. Reuters-Yonhap

SAN FRANCISCO — In a landmark development, Meta reached a proposed settlement Wednesday with U.S. states over claims it designed Facebook and Instagram to hook children.

Here are the main terms, which require a judge's approval to take effect.

The money

Meta would pay in 10 annual installments totaling about $11.7 billion, with a further $5 billion payable only if rival platforms sign comparable agreements — a maximum of $16.7 billion.

Separately, the company would pay $75 million toward the states' legal costs and $459 million to settle older claims tied to the Cambridge Analytica data scandal.

States are expected to spend the money on youth mental health programs, crisis lines, after-school activities and digital literacy, though final decisions rest with state legislatures.

Nighttime block

Within six months, teenage accounts would by default be locked out of Facebook and Instagram from midnight to 6:00 am local time.

Messaging and settings would stay available but stripped down so teens cannot use them to reach the wider app. Push notifications would be switched off from 10:00 pm to 7:00 am.

Daily time limit

Teen accounts would default to two hours of cumulative daily use across Meta's apps, resetting at midnight. Messaging and long-form video do not count toward the total.

Neither the curfew nor the cap can be changed by a teenager without a parent's approval and the limits can be tightened.

If competing platforms adopt equivalent commitments, the overnight block widens to 10:00 pm to 7:00 am and the daily allowance drops to 60 minutes per app, capped at two hours across all of them.

Notifications would be silenced during school hours, defined as 8:00 am to 3:00 pm on weekdays between August 15 and June 15.

Within four months, teens would be offered a feed that is not algorithmically personalized. Like counts would be hidden by default and cosmetic surgery filters barred.

Age checks

Meta has one year to deploy an accurate age assurance system: age-checking tools must mistake no more than three percent of 13- to 15-year-olds as adults, and no more than 10 percent of 16- and 17-year-olds.

New accounts whose age is unverified after 14 days are treated as teen accounts regardless of the age stated.

For users under 13, who are barred from the platforms under U.S. law, Meta must presume a reported account is underage absent evidence otherwise and check the friend networks of deleted accounts for other underage users.

Role of parents

Parents supervising a teen account would get daily notifications of time spent, prompts to review settings and the power to adjust school hours.

Meta must respond to teens reporting illegal or offensive content within six hours in at least 90 percent of cases filed in English or Spanish.

An independent auditor, chosen jointly by Meta and a committee of states and paid for by the company, would monitor compliance of the overall settlement for 10 years.

A separate ruling bars Meta from making false or misleading statements about its safety features.

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