Meta to pay $18b to settle states’ teen safety lawsuit

Emily had always battled mental health issues, but when some classmates posted photos of her with an apron and hairnet on social media and began cyberbullying her, it got worse.

In October 2021, Abrham Meareg’s father, a professor of chemistry in Ethiopia’s northern town of Bahir Dar, was shot at close range and died outside his family home.

Meta agreed to pay about $18 billion to settle a multistate lawsuit claiming it intentionally designed addictive platforms that harmed young people’s mental health.

Meta waved a white flag on Wednesday in a long-running battle over claims it used deceptive tactics to get teens addicted to social media, reaching a roughly $18 billion settlement agreement and pledging to make sweeping changes to Facebook and Instagram to address teen safety.