Meta Agrees to $18 Billion Deal Over Kids’ Social Media Safety

Written by: Keya Gambhir

Imagine opening Instagram or Facebook to watch a few videos. You plan to stay for 10 minutes, but suddenly an hour has passed. You keep scrolling, watching videos, and checking notifications. Why can it be so hard to stop?

This question is at the center of a major legal case involving Meta, the company that owns Instagram and Facebook.

On August 26, 2026, Meta agreed to pay up to $18 billion to settle claims brought by U.S. states and territories. The states argued that Meta’s platforms could harm children and teens and that the company did not do enough to protect younger users.

The settlement was approved by a California judge. Meta has denied doing anything wrong, but it agreed to make major changes to Instagram and Facebook.

So, what is changing?

One of the biggest changes is a two-hour daily time limit for teen users. Once the limit is reached, teens would need permission from a parent or guardian to turn the limit off.

There will also be a new “night mode.” From midnight to 6 a.m., notifications will be blocked for teens. The goal is to help young people avoid staying up late checking social media.

Another feature is “school mode,” which will mute notifications between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. on school days. That means fewer buzzing phones during class!

Meta will also remind teens when they have been using the apps continuously. After 15 minutes, users will receive a reminder, followed by additional notifications after 60 and 90 minutes of total use.

There are changes to what users see, too. Teens will have the option to choose a non-personalized feed, meaning the feed will not be based on an algorithm choosing content specifically to keep them interested.

Teens will also be able to turn off autoplay, which automatically starts the next video. The number of likes and reactions on posts made by teens will be hidden, and certain extreme makeup and appearance-changing filters will no longer be available.

Why is this happening?

The states that sued Meta argued that the company knew young people were using its platforms and that some features could encourage people to spend more time online.

During the trial, lawyers discussed internal Meta documents, including research and messages from employees. One internal study about Instagram described teens as having an “addict's narrative about use.”

The states argued that Meta should have done more to protect young users.

Meta disagreed with those claims and said it has spent years working on teen safety, including developing new tools and features.

The trial was taking place in Oakland, California, but it ended early when the two sides reached a settlement.

What does this mean for other apps?

The settlement could affect more than just Instagram and Facebook.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta called the agreement a possible “blueprint” for other social media companies. Meta has also encouraged companies such as TikTok, Snap and YouTube to introduce similar safety features.

If other major social media platforms agree to similar restrictions, Meta’s two-hour daily limit could eventually become one hour.

Some of the settlement money will also go toward programs such as youth mental health services, after-school programs and crisis intervention.

For now, the deal is a big step in the debate over how social media companies should protect young people.

So the next time you find yourself saying, “Just one more video!”, remember: sometimes the best scroll is the one you decide to stop.