Meta agrees to pay $18 billion to settle US lawsuits over children's social media addiction

While Meta will not undergo a fundamental overhaul, the accords represent a sweeping effort to define how it serves young users. It could provide a template for resolving thousands of other lawsuits against social media companies.

Governments around the world are trying to curb children's access to harmful online content, including a ban in Australia on social media for children under 16. “The focus of this case was to protect our kids," Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said in a statement.

"The relief we are getting in this settlement is very meaningful and well beyond what any court has ordered or is likely to order. "Meta agreed over the next decade to restrict teenagers' use of Facebook and Instagram ​to two hours a day and block all usage from midnight to 6 a.m., absent parental consent.

These limits could be tightened if the social media platforms Snapchat, Tik. Tok and You. Tube adopt similar terms.

Meta will also disable most push notifications to teenage users ​during school hours of 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and enhance measures to prevent children from accessing age-restricted content. The settlement does not require Meta to abandon personalized recommendations or targeted advertising.

It also does not ⁠address some content Meta researchers found particularly problematic, including posts that made Instagram users uncomfortable with their body image. Meta denied wrongdoing in agreeing to settle. The total payout represents about three to four months of profit and about one month of revenue for Meta.