Meta reaches $17 billion settlement with states in landmark trial over teen social media addiction - AP News

The settlement closes out a years-long legal fight accusing Meta of deliberately designing features to hook young users and damage their mental health. Forty-seven states signed on, making it one of the broadest multistate actions ever taken against a social media company.

For parents in Lubbock raising kids who spend hours on Instagram or Facebook, the deal means the platforms are required to add stronger protections, not just promise them. The exact shape of those changes was not detailed in the announcement, but the agreement ties Meta's wallet directly to following through. At $17 billion, the payout signals that regulators found the harm credible enough to fight all the way to trial before settling.

Three states did not join, which means the legal pressure on Meta is not entirely gone.