Meta agrees to pay up to $16.7bn to settle social media casePublished26 August 2026, 14:09 BSTUpdated 5 minutes agoSocial media giant Meta has reached a settlement with 29 US states to resolve a court case related to child safety on Facebook and Instagram. The tech company will pay a maximum of $16.68bn (£12.26bn), according to court documents.The settlement requires Meta introduce certain rules for teenage users, including daily limits and night-time blocks.Meta denied wrongdoing in agreeing to settle. It was alleged the company had violated numerous federal and state privacy laws for children.The states suing Meta claimed it "chose to exploit" young people in order to hook them on its platforms, so it could grow its user base and expand its business.This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X, external to get the latest alerts.Related topicsMetaSocial media regulation debateSocial mediaFacebookInstagram