Government Regulations Meta agrees to $18 billion settlement and teen usage limits in child safety case August 28, 2026 Share By SC Staff (Photo illustration by Chesnot/Getty Images) Meta will pay up to $18 billion and implement daily usage limits for teenagers on Facebook and Instagram, settling claims that the company designed its platforms to foster addiction in children. The agreement concluded a federal trial mid-process, as reported by Security Affairs. The settlement, which spans a decade, includes a cap of two hours per day for teen users on Facebook and Instagram. Meta will also enforce a lockout from midnight to 6 a.m. unless parental consent is given and disable most push notifications during school hours. While the company avoids having to cease personalized recommendations or targeted advertising for minors, the deal resolves state privacy claims related to the Cambridge Analytica scandal with an additional $459 million payment. The settlement's structure includes a portion of the payout contingent on competitors like Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube adopting similar teen protections, creating a financial incentive for Meta to advocate for these changes across the industry. However, some states, like New Mexico and Florida, did not join the settlement, citing insufficient protections or inadequate financial compensation, and plan to pursue further legal action. Source: Security Affairs SC Staff Related Audits (External, Internal) How to Build a Continuous Evidence Program SC Media Editorial Intelligence, reviewed by Solomon Ugah August 24, 2026 Audits (External, Internal) How to Map Controls Across Frameworks Without Losing Meaning SC Media Editorial Intelligence, reviewed by Dara Gibson August 23, 2026 Move Beyond Crosswalks to Control-Based Compliance Audits (External, Internal) The CISO Doesn’t Own the Outcome: A Shared-Accountability Model for Security Decisions SC Media Editorial Intelligence, reviewed by Dara Gibson August 19, 2026 Align Security Accountability with Decision Authority Get daily email updates SC Media's daily must-read of the most current and pressing daily news Business Email By clicking the Subscribe button below, you agree to SC Media Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . Subscribe Related Terms Business Impact Analysis (BIA) British Standard 7799 Chain of Custody Competitive Intelligence Data Custodian Due Care Due Diligence You can skip this ad in 5 seconds