Meta agrees to major app changes and $18B settlement to restrict minors’ access to Instagram and Facebook

The useful part

Meta agrees to sweeping changes to restrict kids' access to its apps as part of settlement with states | TechCrunch Disrupt 2026: states over children's safety, Meta on Wednesday agreed to sweeping changes designed to restrict minors' access to Instagram and Facebook. The changes include a daily time limit, a restrictive "Night Mode," autoplay controls, and more.

How it works

• The social media giant says the new protections will automatically apply to users under 18 on Instagram and Facebook in participating U.S.
• Currently, users have been able to temporarily see a chronological feed on Instagram and Facebook, but can't set it as their default feed.
• Like and reaction counts on posts will also be hidden for underage users by default, whether the posts are theirs or someone else's.
• Meta also said it's strengthening its technology for identifying users who may be aged 13 to 17, even if they provide an adult birth date, to ensure they receive appropriate protections.
• The majority of these controls are required to remain in place for 10 years.

What to take from it

"All platforms should empower parents and support teens by putting the same measures in place, because we know that when teens are restricted on one app, they simply move to another," the company wrote in a blog post. One of the most notable changes is that Meta plans to implement a daily two-hour time limit for teenagers on its platform. The limit can only be disabled with parental permission, and once the limit is reached, teens will be locked out of Facebook and Instagram.

Example or evidence

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• The social media giant published an open letter asking TikTok and YouTube to join it in setting an industrywide commitment by also introducing a daily time limit, turning off access to apps at night,...
• The limit will also be applied if Meta detects someone is using multiple accounts.
• The company also said kids will be able to choose a non-algorithmic feed that isn't personalized by its recommendation systems as their default.

Details worth keeping

OpenAI, Anthropic, Replit, and more take over 6 industry stages. Save up to $300 on Disrupt Close Image Credits: Will Oliver/EPA/Bloomberg / Getty Images Social Meta agrees to sweeping changes to restrict kids' access to its apps as part of settlement with states Aisha Malik 9:03 AM PDT · August 26, 2026 Under the terms of its $18 billion settlement to resolve claims brought by 29 U.S.

Related coverage

• Edweek: The deal with 47 states requires Meta to add child-safety measures to Facebook and Instagram.
• Nbcdfw: Kids under 18 will soon see a host of changes to their Instagram and Facebook experiences thanks to a historic $18 billion settlement Meta Platforms reached Wednesday with 48 U.S.
• Theguardian: US tech giant agrees to establish further protections for teens such as daily usage limits and blocks on nighttime use Meta agreed to significant changes to its Instagram and Facebook apps in a settlement...
• Kmbc: State attorneys general, Meta and child-safety advocates are pushing for broader industry protections after a settlement imposed new restrictions on young people's use of Instagram and Facebook.
• Scientificamerican: Meta agreed to implement new safety measures, including a default two-hour daily limit for using Facebook and Instagram, for users under the age of 18