Meta has agreed to pay up to $16.68 billion (€14.46 billion) to settle its blockbuster legal battle with more than two dozen US states over alleged failures of child protection and social media addiction, just as the case was getting under way in a California courtroom.The parent of Facebook and Instagram has agreed to pay a maximum of $16.68bn to 29 states, according to filings on Wednesday. Meta has previously estimated that losing the case could have cost it hundreds of billions of dollars.The social media company is facing a wave of similar cases, all of which contend that Big Tech platforms cause personal injury by developing deliberately addictive products.As part of the settlement, Meta has agreed to impose default daily limits and night-time blocks for teenage users of its social media apps, bolster its age-assurance systems to prevent children from accessing inappropriate content, and provide extra tools for parents and guardians.The agreement does not include an admission of wrongdoing by Meta.Meta shares rose 4 per cent in premarket trading on Wednesday. – Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2026More to follow . ..