Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has agreed to sweeping new restrictions on how teenagers use its social media platforms after reaching a multibillion-dollar settlement with US states over allegations involving child safety, privacy and the design of its platforms.
The agreement could require Meta to pay up to $16.7 billion, according to court filings and reports, while introducing significant changes to Facebook and Instagram's experience for users under 18. The settlement remains subject to court approval.
The case represents one of the most significant legal challenges Meta has faced over the way its platforms affect children and teenagers.
Meta $16.7 billion settlement: What happened?
The settlement resolves claims brought by a coalition of US states and territories. Authorities alleged that Meta deliberately designed features on Facebook and Instagram that encouraged young people to spend excessive amounts of time on the platforms.
The allegations also included claims that Meta misled the public about the safety of its services and improperly collected personal information from children under 13.
Meta has denied wrongdoing but agreed to implement a broad package of child-safety reforms as part of the settlement. The agreement covers 47 states, the District of Columbia and several US territories.
The financial terms have been reported at different levels depending on the conditions attached to the agreement, with Reuters reporting a settlement of up to approximately $16.68 billion, while state officials describe the overall agreement as reaching about $17.1 billion.
Facebook and Instagram introduce a two-hour daily limit for teens
One of the biggest changes is a default two-hour daily usage limit for teenagers on Facebook and Instagram.
The limit is cumulative. This means time spent scrolling on Facebook and Instagram is counted toward the same two-hour allowance rather than giving a teenager two hours on each application.
According to Meta, the restriction can only be turned off with parental permission. The company will also attempt to account for situations where a teenager has multiple accounts.
The change is designed to reduce excessive social media use and encourage teenagers to spend less time continuously scrolling.
Instagram and Facebook nighttime blackout
Teenagers will also face a default overnight block.
Under the agreement, Facebook and Instagram will prevent teen users from accessing major parts of the platforms between 12 midnight and 6 a.m.
During this period, teenagers will not be able to use features such as Feed, Stories, Explore and Reels.
Meta says direct messaging will remain available so teenagers can continue communicating with friends and family.
Facebook and Instagram notifications to be muted during school hours
Another major change is the introduction of what Meta calls School Mode.
Notifications will generally be muted between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays during the school year.
Direct messages and certain security or safety alerts will still be allowed, but ordinary push notifications will be restricted.
The objective is to reduce interruptions during school hours and discourage teenagers from repeatedly checking their phones because of social-media notifications.
Meta will send teenagers regular usage reminders
The new system will also introduce more frequent reminders.
Teen users will receive prompts after every 15 minutes of continuous screen time on Facebook or Instagram.
Additional notifications will appear when total daily usage reaches 60 minutes and 90 minutes.
These prompts are intended to encourage teenagers to become more conscious of how much time they are spending on social media.
Parents will get stronger controls over teen accounts
The settlement also gives parents greater oversight.
Meta says parents will receive additional information and controls relating to their teenagers' activity. Parents can also receive alerts when a teenager attempts to change protective settings or connects a secondary account.
The company is also strengthening its protections against suspicious adults attempting to find, follow or interact with teenagers.
These measures are intended to give parents greater visibility while allowing teenagers to maintain normal communication with friends and family.
Meta faces allegations over child privacy
The case goes beyond concerns about screen time.
US authorities accused Meta of improperly collecting personal information from children under 13 and of violating child privacy and consumer-protection laws.
The allegations formed part of a wider legal and political debate over whether major social-media companies have done enough to protect children from harmful content, addictive product design and unwanted interactions.
The settlement therefore addresses both social-media usage and child safety.
Meta says the changes could become an industry standard
Meta is also calling on other major technology companies to adopt similar protections.
The company has specifically encouraged platforms such as TikTok and YouTube to participate in broader efforts to establish stronger safety standards for teenage users.
Meta says industry-wide adoption would make it easier to establish consistent protections instead of having different rules across competing social-media platforms.
Will the restrictions affect teenagers outside the United States?
For now, the settlement is a US legal agreement.
The restrictions described in the settlement are tied to participating US states and territories, and implementation is subject to court approval.
That means teenagers in countries such as Nigeria should not assume that the same two-hour limit or midnight-to-6 a.m. block automatically applies to their Facebook or Instagram accounts.
However, the agreement could influence how Meta designs its global teen-safety policies in the future.
Why the Meta settlement matters
The case could have consequences well beyond Facebook and Instagram.
Social-media companies have faced increasing pressure from governments, parents, researchers and regulators over the effect of their products on young users.
The Meta settlement demonstrates that authorities are increasingly seeking not only financial penalties but also specific changes to the design and operation of social-media platforms.
That could encourage regulators to demand similar measures from other technology companies.
What teenagers and parents should know
The most important changes under the agreement include:
- A default two-hour daily limit across Facebook and Instagram.
- A default midnight-to-6 a.m. overnight block for major social-media features.
- Muted notifications during specified school hours.
- Usage prompts after every 15 minutes of continuous activity.
- Additional reminders at 60 and 90 minutes of daily usage.
- Stronger parental controls and activity information.
- Additional protections against suspicious adults contacting teenagers.
- Greater efforts to identify and remove underage users.
- Independent oversight of Meta's compliance with the agreement.
Meta's legal battle is not necessarily over
Although the settlement resolves a major multistate case, it does not mean Meta has escaped all legal challenges involving youth safety.
The company continues to face other lawsuits and regulatory scrutiny concerning children, privacy and the impact of social media.
The settlement nevertheless removes a major legal threat and creates a framework requiring Meta to change important aspects of Facebook and Instagram for younger users.
Meta's agreement to pay up to $16.7 billion and introduce tougher restrictions for teenage users represents a major turning point in the debate over social-media safety.
For teenagers in participating US states and territories, Facebook and Instagram are set to become significantly more restricted, with daily time limits, nighttime access blocks and school-hour notification controls.
For parents, the agreement provides additional tools to monitor and manage their children's social-media activity.
For the wider technology industry, the settlement sends a clear message: governments are increasingly willing to challenge the design of social-media platforms when they believe those products expose children to excessive use, harmful content or privacy risks.
The biggest question now is whether similar protections will eventually become standard across the entire social-media industry—and whether Meta will extend some of these measures to teenage users globally.
This article is based on the reported settlement and official statements available on August 26, 2026. The agreement is subject to court approval, and implementation details may change.
