August 26, 2026
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Facebook and Instagram will implement new child safety protections after their parent company, Meta, reached a $17.1 billion agreement to settle a lawsuit filed by 47 states. Pennsylvania and New Jersey each may receive more than $700 million.
Facebook and Instagram will implement several safety features as part of a $17.1 billion settlement to a lawsuit that claimed their parent company, Meta, violated federal child privacy and state consumer protection laws. The lawsuit was filed by 47 states, including Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Per the settlement terms, which still require court approval, Meta will pay New Jersey between $525 million and $725 million. Pennsylvania will receive $516 million to $729 million. The exact amounts are dependent on whether other social media platforms, such as Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube, also adopt new safety standards.
MORE: Pennsylvania sues Snapchat for exposing kids to 'highly addictive' app
The lawsuit claimed Facebook and Instagram intentionally included addictive features and caused harm to younger users. It also alleged Meta intentionally misled public officials about the safety of its platforms.
If the settlement is approved, Facebook and Instagram would be required to make these changes:
• A two-hour time limit for combined use of Instagram and Facebook, plus automatic pauses after 15, 60 and 90 minutes of use. These standards would be in effect for five years, but should other platforms adopt similar terms, they would extend to 10 years and the time limit would drop to one hour.
• "Nighttime blocks" that limit access to feeds, stories, the explore tab and reels between midnight and 6 a.m.
• Limited access during school hours, and fewer push notifications between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays during the school year.
• Better procedures to verify ages.
• Better safeguards against content related to eating disorders and self harm, and stronger protections against bullying.
• Parental controls that are easier to use, and the ability to require a chronological feed instead of an algorithm-based one.
• Restrictions on comparison features, like filters that mimic plastic surgery and the ability to see the amount of likes, which can contribute to poor mental health.
"Ensuring teens have a safe and productive experience on our platforms is an absolute imperative for Meta," the company said in a statement. "We want to get this right for parents and teens, and that's why we partnered with state attorneys general to set a new industry standard."
The settlement also requires independent auditing of the new safety features. The findings would be reviewed by the plaintiff states. Some of the changes will take place within 30 days, and others will occur within six months, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday said.
"We can't simply tell parents to do better while allowing technology companies to design platforms that are engineered to addict children and keep them coming back," Sunday said Wednesday during a press conference. "Parents deserve better."
Pennsylvania, New Jersey and other states filed the lawsuit in October 2023, claiming Meta knew about some of the harm that its platforms caused to young people, but downplayed or attempted to hide them in order to compete with other social media sites.
"As a parent, protecting your kids is always your North Star. And this agreement achieves critical protections for our children today," New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said in a statement. "It would not have been possible without our amazing litigation team, who worked with their counterparts across the country to bring this groundbreaking case."
On Tuesday, Sunday filed a lawsuit against Snapchat, claiming that it marketed itself as appropriate for teens but also had an addictive design and connected young people to profane content.
