Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg arrives to the Los Angeles Superior Court at United States Court House on February 18, 2026. Meta agreed to put greater restrictions on teen users on Wednesday.
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Attorneys and analysts are divided on whether Meta made the right move.The social media giant on Wednesday settled with a group of states that sued the company in 2023 and alleged that it had designed its social media platforms to be addictive to teenagers.Included in the settlement are a slew of restrictions for teen users of Instagram and Facebook. If the federal judge overseeing the case approves the settlement, teen users will be limited to two hours of scrolling per day, will be unable to scroll at night, and won't get notifications during the school day.Also in the settlement is around $18 billion for 47 states, the District of Columbia, and several American territories, to be paid out by Meta in installments over the next decade. Around $5 billion of that sum is contingent upon YouTube and TikTok also coughing up billions and instituting similar controls for teen users.Meta and the attorneys general struck the deal less than two weeks after the trial began.Here's what smart people are saying about Meta's landmark social media settlement.
