Meta's record fine fails to repair damaged credibility

Meta has agreed to pay up to $18 billion over ten years to settle a child-safety lawsuit brought by 29 states, an amount that represents less than 1% of its 2025 revenue and avoids any admission of guilt. Nearly a third of the payment is contingent on rivals adopting similar safeguards, and the company has framed the deal as a proactive step for teen protection. However, internal documents showing that Meta knew about Instagram's harm to teen girls, along with its decision to disband a product-harm investigation team, suggest the settlement does little to restore public trust.