# Meta settles state attorneys general youth-harm claims during trial

Attorney advertising. Brief by Lou Schwartz, Schwartz & Associates, PC, Atlanta, Georgia. Published 2026-08-26; updated 2026-08-26. Responsible attorney: Lou Schwartz. Canonical: https://www.snalawyers.com/insights/meta-state-ag-settlement

During a trial that began August 18 in the social media adolescent addiction MDL (No. 3047, N.D. Cal.), Meta settled claims by state attorneys general that Instagram and Facebook features were designed to drive compulsive use by minors and that the risks were misrepresented. The California and District of Columbia attorneys general describe payments of up to about $17 billion over ten years, partly contingent on other platforms adopting similar measures, along with default protections for teen accounts.

**Why it matters.** The settlement resolves claims by the participating states; claims by individual plaintiffs and school districts in the MDL remain pending.

## Sources

1. [California Attorney General press release](https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-secures-transformative-17-billion-settlement-meta)

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