Meta has agreed to new restrictions on how teenagers use Facebook and Instagram in the United States, including a default two-hour daily limit and a nighttime block.

The agreement comes as Meta faces extensive legal challenges over allegations that its platforms were designed in ways that encouraged excessive use among young people and that the company mishandled children’s data. Meta has denied wrongdoing, but the settlement introduces some of the strongest restrictions yet on how teenagers can use its platforms.

The changes also raise a larger question: can limits imposed on one group of social media platforms meaningfully reduce harmful or excessive use when teenagers can simply move to competing services?

Under the agreement, which still requires judicial approval, the new protections will apply to under-18 users of Facebook and Instagram in participating US states and territories.

Meta says teenagers will face a default two-hour daily limit across Facebook and Instagram. The limit is cumulative, meaning time spent on both platforms counts toward the same daily allowance. Teenagers will not be able to remove the restriction without parental permission.

There will also be a default midnight-to-6 a.m. block. During those hours, teenagers will not be able to view or post to their Feed, Stories, Explore or Reels. Direct messaging is excluded from the nighttime, daily-limit and school-hour restrictions, allowing teenagers to continue communicating with friends and family.

Notifications will also be muted by default between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., although direct messages and certain safety or security alerts remain available.

Meta will additionally introduce 15-minute usage prompts, non-algorithmic feed options, autoplay controls, hidden likes by default and stronger parental supervision tools.

The settlement follows years of litigation over children's online safety.

In 2023, California and a bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general sued Meta, alleging that Facebook and Instagram contained features that encouraged excessive use by children and teenagers and that Meta misled the public about the risks. The allegations also included claims concerning the collection and use of data belonging to children under 13.

The case was still moving toward trial this month. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in August that the trial was beginning after courts rejected Meta's attempts to terminate the case before trial.

The states' allegations are not the same as findings that Meta intentionally harmed children. They remain legal claims made against the company. Meta has denied wrongdoing.

What the financial settlement means

Reuters reported the settlement at approximately $16.68 billion, resolving lawsuits brought by 29 US states.

Meta's own announcement describes the financial commitment differently, putting the figure at approximately $18 billion over 10 years. About $12.7 billion is expected to be distributed to participating states, while another $5.3 billion is conditional on TikTok and YouTube adopting specified protections and making matching payments.

That distinction matters because the figures are describing the agreement's financial structure from different perspectives rather than necessarily contradicting one another.

Meta also says it expects to record approximately $10 billion in legal expenses in the third quarter of 2026 as a result of the agreement.

The issue that remains unresolved

The biggest unanswered question is whether restrictions on Facebook and Instagram will have the intended effect if teenagers can simply spend more time on other platforms.

Meta itself acknowledges this problem. In announcing the agreement, the company called on TikTok and YouTube to adopt similar protections, arguing that teenagers move between multiple applications.

The agreement therefore goes beyond a settlement between Meta and the states. It is also an attempt to establish a broader standard for how social-media companies manage teenage users.

If TikTok and YouTube do not adopt comparable restrictions, the practical effect of limiting Facebook and Instagram alone could be smaller than policymakers hope.

This is not a global two-hour ban

The wording of the announcement is important for readers outside the United States.

The settlement's automatic restrictions apply to under-18 users in participating US states and territories. It does not establish a worldwide two-hour limit for teenagers on Facebook and Instagram.

That means Nigerian teenagers, for example, should not assume that the midnight-to-6 a.m. block or two-hour limit automatically applies to their accounts because of this agreement.

Meta already operates other youth-safety measures in different markets, but those are separate from the settlement.

The agreement requires judicial approval before the new protections take effect under its terms. Most provisions are intended to remain in place for 10 years, while the initial daily-limit and Night Mode commitments begin with five-year terms. If other major platforms join the framework, some restrictions would become stronger and the commitments would extend.

An independent auditor is also expected to review Meta's compliance annually for five years, while an independent research foundation will be established to support research into teen wellbeing.

The unresolved question is therefore no longer simply whether Meta will impose restrictions. It is whether those restrictions will be enforced effectively, whether other platforms will adopt comparable rules, and whether the combined measures actually change teenagers' online behaviour.