Meta agrees to pay $17bn to settle landmark US child safety lawsuit

Meta has agreed to a significant settlement in a US lawsuit concerning the impact of its social media platforms on teenagers. The company will pay up to $17 billion, with various sources citing slightly different figures, ranging from $16.7 billion according to the National Post and Business Insider, to $18 billion as reported by AppleInsider.

The settlement brings an end to a trial that could have seen Meta's CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, take the stand. According to Euronews, it is one of the largest consumer protection settlements in US history. As part of the agreement, Meta will also implement changes to its platforms, including a 2-hour daily limit for teenagers on Facebook and Instagram, as reported by Business Insider.

The settlement involves 47 states, the District of Columbia, and several American territories, with some exceptions. New Mexico and Florida were not part of the settlement, with New Mexico having won a similar trial earlier, according to AppleInsider. The agreement has not yet been approved by the federal judge overseeing the trial.

Brief written by urgent.news from Silicon Republic, Euronews, AppleInsider, National Post, Business Insider — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.