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Meta settles landmark social media addiction case

Aug 26, 2026, 6:18pm EDT
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Mother of teenage girl who died by suicide
Mother of teenage girl who died by suicide. Manuel Orbegozo/Reuters

Meta vowed to institute sweeping changes to Facebook and Instagram as part of an $18 billion settlement with 48 US states that had accused the platforms of promoting “known harmful” and addictive features to children and teenagers.

Meta said Wednesday it will hold users under 18 to two-hour daily limits and block usage at night unless parents consent, potentially transforming how young Americans interact with social media apps and providing a template for thousands of similar lawsuits globally; part of the settlement will only be paid out if TikTok and YouTube introduce similar restrictions.

Meta is locked in a separate fight over backlash against data centers as anti-tech sentiment among US voters balloons into a “bipartisan rebellion” against AI, Semafor’s David Weigel wrote.

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