Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, said on Wednesday it has agreed to pay about $18 billion as part of a settlement to resolve a multistate lawsuit claiming that it intentionally designed addictive platforms that harmed young people's mental health.

Meta has agreed to a massive settlement in a lawsuit over how it intentionally designed Instagram and Facebook to addict children.

Meta has agreed to pay up to $18 billion and add stronger child-safety measures to its Facebook and Instagram platforms as part of a landmark legal settlement. The deal announced…