Meta and states settle landmark case over harms to children for $16.6 billion

Meta has agreed to an about $17 billion settlement to resolve claims brought by 29 state attorneys general that it intentionally designed addictive platforms that harmed young people’s mental health, according to a court filing Wednesday.

Video above: States v. Meta: the landmark case that could change social media

The settlement ends a landmark legal battle for the social media giant.

As part of the settlement, Meta has agreed to make changes to its platforms, such as establishing daily time limits for teen users, the filing states. The payment will go toward

It comes just over a week after a trial began in California, in which four of the states were seeking as much as $1.4 trillion in damages and changes to the company’s platforms. Instagram head Adam Mosseri was set to take the stand for a second day on Wednesday, and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was also expected to testify in the case.

Meta has agreed to pay up to $16.6 billion to settle the case, NBC News and Reuters reported.

Meta has long denied that its platforms harm children and has called the states’ claims “unsubstantiated.” Meta did not admit wrongdoing as part of the settlement.

“Ensuring teens have a safe and productive experience on our platforms is an absolute imperative for Meta,” the company said in a blog post about the agreement on Wednesday. “We want to get this right for parents and teens, and that’s why we partnered with state attorneys general to set a new industry standard.”

This is a developing story and will be updated.