Meta strikes up to $18B deal to tighten teen safety on Facebook and Instagram

Meta has agreed to pay up to $18 billion to settle claims that Facebook and Instagram harmed children, with the settlement requiring a suite of safety features by default (night mode, a two-hour daily time limit, hidden likes, school mode, usage prompts, non‑algorithm feeds, autoplay off) and parental controls; the payout will be distributed in annual installments over 10 years and covers 48 states plus the District of Columbia and three territories, while Meta denies any wrongdoing.