Meta, US states agree $16.7B settlement in landmark teen safety case
Meta agrees to pay a coalition of US states as much as $16.7 billion and to impose sweeping new limits on how teenagers use Facebook and Instagram
Meta knew teen safety tools were ineffective, witnesses testify
Tech giant Meta faces mounting scrutiny in a California trial as former employees and internal documents indicate Instagram’s teen safety tools saw limited adoption, while US states seek billions in penalties.
A DAY AGO
New Zealand moves to ban social media for under-16s
New Zealand introduces legislation to ban social media use for under-16s, requiring platforms to verify users’ ages and face hefty fines for non-compliance.
3 DAYS AGO
Major Meta trial begins as lawyers spar over witnesses, damages
A coalition of states sued Meta in 2023, and the four states now going to trial were selected to represent them.
August 18, 2026
Meta ordered to pay US state $567M to abate 'public nuisance' and child harm
Meta says in a statement that they 'disagree with the ruling and will appeal'; says it has been transparent about the challenges of identifying and removing bad actors and harmful content.
August 7, 2026
Meta shares surge on report of new AI cloud business
Bloomberg says Meta is developing plans to compete directly with Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud by monetizing the excess computing capacity it has built while racing to develop artificial intelligence.
July 1, 2026
Meta says testing subscription tier for Instagram
Instagram is testing a paid subscription tier in some countries, letting users discretely view Stories, control who sees their posts, and access premium features, with prices around $2 per month.
March 30, 2026
Instagram CEO denies addiction claims in landmark US trial
Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri rejected that users could be clinically addicted to social media, he testified in a California trial over whether his company knowingly hooked children on its platform for profit.
February 11, 2026
Australia bans under-16s from social media in world-first crackdown
Australia has banned under-16s from using major social media platforms, enforcing strict age checks and heavy fines to protect children from harmful content. Tech giants object, while parents welcome the move and legal challenges are expected.
December 9, 2025
Instagram says it's safeguarding teens by limiting them to PG-13 content
Meta announced new safeguards on Instagram, restricting teens to PG-13 content by default. Teens will need parental approval to change settings, as the platform aims to curb exposure to sex, drugs, and harmful behaviors.
October 14, 2025