What happened: Meta settles teen social media addiction claims in a landmark U.S. trial
Meta agreed to pay $17 billion and add child-safety measures to Facebook and Instagram to resolve a U.S. trial over claims of teen social media addiction. The settlement was announced by U.S. state attorneys-general and is tied to claims brought by 47 U.S. states.
The settlement ends a trial that had been expected to include testimony by CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Publicly reported information describes the settlement as one of the largest state consumer protection actions in the United States.
A reported allocation of $353 million was earmarked for Virginia under the settlement terms.
Background and earlier position: what the states alleged in the lawsuits
Several U.S. states sued Meta in 2023. Reported examples of suing states include California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey.
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