Meta Settlement Requires Social Media Limits for Teens During School Hours

Meta has agreed to pay up to $16.68 billion and make significant changes to Facebook and Instagram to settle claims that the company designed its platforms to encourage compulsive use among children and teens, misled the public about their safety, and improperly collected children's personal data.

The proposed settlement, announced Aug. 26, was reached during a federal trial involving claims brought by 29 states, Reuters reports. The trial included allegations that Meta violated state consumer protection laws as well as claims that the company violated the federal Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) by collecting personal information from children under 13 without parental notification or consent.

The broader settlement resolves claims involving 47 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands. Meta denies wrongdoing and the settlement remains subject to court approval.

Along with payments to participating states and territories, the agreement requires Meta to implement new protections for users under 18, including daily usage limits, nighttime restrictions, limits on notifications during school hours, additional parental controls, and enhanced age-assurance measures.

The settlement does not resolve separate litigation brought by school districts against Meta and other social media companies. Those cases remain pending.

What Changes Will Meta Make for Teen Users?

Under the proposed settlement, users under 18 would have a default combined daily limit of two hours on Facebook and Instagram. A parent would be required to approve less restrictive settings. If other major social media platforms agree to comparable restrictions, the default limit would decrease to one hour.

Meta must also implement "productive pauses" intended to interrupt extended use. According to details released by state attorneys general, teens would encounter interventions after periods of continuous or cumulative use.

The agreement also requires:

• A default block on most Facebook and Instagram use between midnight and 6 a.m., which could eventually expand to 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. if other platforms adopt comparable restrictions
• Push notifications turned off by default between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.
• Enhanced age-assurance measures to identify users under 18 and children under 13
• Additional parental supervision tools
• An option for teen users to receive a non-personalized feed
• Restrictions on displaying numbers of likes and reactions to users under 18
• Restrictions on cosmetic-procedure image filters for teen users
• Additional mechanisms for teens to report potentially harmful content

Meta will also be required to maintain, review, and improve existing teen content protections. An independent auditor will oversee compliance with the agreement.

Settlement Includes Limits During the School Day

The agreement also includes provisions specifically covering school hours. Meta must turn off most push notifications to users under 18 by default between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays from Aug. 15 through June 15. Messaging, account security, and certain other notifications are exempt from the restriction.

Parents will also have additional controls that can be used to limit their child's access to Meta platforms during designated school hours.

The school-day provisions come as states and school districts continue adopting their own restrictions on student cell phone and social media use during the school day.

State-by-State Meta Settlement Payments

The agreement provides for payments over a 10-year period to participating states, the District of Columbia, and territories.

California officials said a significant portion of the state's proceeds is earmarked for preventing or addressing mental health and other harms to young people associated with social media use, although the Legislature and governor will ultimately determine how much of the money is spent.

The settlement agreement lists the following maximum payments for participating states and jurisdictions. Texas, which reached a separate $1 billion settlement with Meta, is not included.

The settlement also resolves separate privacy claims involving the Cambridge Analytica controversy brought by California, Illinois, New Mexico, and Washington, D.C. Those jurisdictions will receive a combined $459.3 million to settle those claims.

The Settlement Does Not Resolve School District Lawsuits

More than 1,500 school districts are involved in federal multidistrict litigation against Meta, Google, TikTok, and Snap. The districts allege the companies designed their platforms to encourage compulsive use among young people and that schools have incurred additional costs for counseling, mental health services, crisis intervention, and other student supports as a result.

Reuters reported following the Meta settlement that thousands of claims brought by young people and public school districts remain pending against Meta, TikTok, Snap, and YouTube.

The districts are seeking financial damages as well as changes to platform features they allege contribute to excessive use among children and teens.

The first school district trial in the multidistrict litigation is currently scheduled for February 2027.

The school district plaintiffs' attorneys also confirmed Wednesday that their cases are continuing.

How Schools Are Responding to Concerning Social Media Activity

In a recent National Council of School Safety Directors (NCSSD) discussion, members described a range of approaches to concerning student social media activity.

Several said their districts do not routinely monitor students' personal social media accounts, instead responding when concerns are reported by students, families, staff members, or others in the community. Others described using monitoring tools on school-issued devices, reviewing limited publicly available content, or looking at social media when a specific concern arises.

Regardless of the approach, members said reports from students, families, and staff often provide the first indication that a student may need support or further assessment.

When concerning content is reported, members emphasized having an established process for determining what happens next. Depending on the circumstances, that may involve administrators, counselors, behavioral threat assessment teams, social workers, school resource officers, or other partners working together to assess the situation and determine an appropriate response.

Several members also emphasized responding consistently rather than relying solely on an individual's judgment about whether a post is serious or was intended as a joke.

Members pointed to the importance of clear reporting pathways so students, families, staff, and community members know where to bring concerns.