Meta has confirmed the final terms of its settlement with US authorities over child safety on Facebook and Instagram, agreeing to pay up to $16.68bn (£12.26bn) to a bipartisan group of 52 attorneys general across US states, territories and Washington DC. Meta itself has now put the figure at approximately $18bn, to be paid in annual instalments over 10 years, and says the money can fund youth online safety initiatives among other state priorities. The company continues to deny any wrongdoing, despite allegations that it designed its platforms to "entice, engage, and ultimately ensnare youth and teens" while disregarding harm to their mental and physical wellbeing.

As part of the deal, Meta must roll out new protections for teenage users, including daily time limits, night-time blocks, restricted access during school hours, stronger parental controls and more robust age verification. District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb called the settlement a "monumental public health victory" that would "fundamentally and immediately change" how young people use the platforms. Meta's chief legal officer, CJ Mahoney, said the new features set "the right path forward for our whole industry" and called on rivals TikTok and YouTube to adopt similar safeguards; both companies have been contacted for comment.