Meta agrees to pay up to $17.1bn to settle claims its platforms harm children

Facebook and Instagram owner Meta has agreed to pay up to $17.1bn (£12.57bn) to settle claims brought by 29 US states that its platforms harmed children

I wasn’t expecting this, our technology editor writes – while the settlement doesn’t admit wrongdoing, it’s clear the company suddenly decided a deal was worth doing

As part of the deal, Meta agrees to make changes to its platforms nationwide – including daily limits and night-time blocks for teenage users

Meta says the agreement builds on its “longstanding efforts to empower parents and support teens” – and calls on TikTok and YouTube to put the same measures in place

Washington DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb calls it “a monumental public health victory for young people”