Meta to Pay $18B and Curb Teen App Usage in Historic Multi-State Deal
Meta Platforms has agreed to pay up to $18 billion over ten years to settle claims from 47 states regarding youth mental health and social media addiction. The settlement mandates strict parental controls, including a two-hour daily limit for users under 18, a night mode blocking access from midnight to 6 a.m., and a school mode that silences notifications during class hours. Meta is urging TikTok and YouTube to adopt the same framework, which would extend the measures to at least ten years.
The settlement emerged from a bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general, with California's Rob Bonta playing a leading role. Funds from the $18 billion penalty will be distributed across the 47 participating states specifically to support youth mental health programs and address social media addiction. Beyond the headline restrictions, the agreement also includes bans on plastic surgery filters and other features designed to give parents greater oversight.
Meta's commitment to enforce the time limits and night mode lasts five years, but the company has tied an extension to ten years on industry participation. Meta's chief legal affairs officer framed the deal as an industry-wide framework, explicitly challenging TikTok and YouTube to adopt identical policies, arguing that teens move fluidly across multiple platforms and need consistent protections.
This settlement could reshape how minors interact with social media across the entire industry, not just Meta's platforms. If TikTok and YouTube follow suit, millions of teenagers may experience reduced screen time and fewer overnight disruptions, potentially improving sleep and classroom focus. Parents gain more direct control, though enforcement challenges remain. The precedent may also encourage other states or regulators to pursue similar restrictions, signaling a broader shift toward treating platform design as a public health concern.