Changes to Facebook and Instagram are key part of Meta’s $17B settlement with the states over harm to teens

Meta’s settlement calls for several key design changes to protect teens, but how the states will verify and enforce the changes is a big question mark.

By: Carolina Rossini, UMass Amherst, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: August 27, 2026

Words: 1,708

Last Updated: 1 month, 3 weeks ago

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By Carolina Rossini, UMass Amherst

Meta has agreed to pay up to US$17 billion over 10 years to settle claims brought by a bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general. The states argued that the company deliberately designed Facebook and Instagram to hook children into using its apps, misled the public about the harm and improperly collected data from children under 13.

The settlement, announced by Meta on Aug. 26, 2026, ended a federal …

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