John Ruwitch

SCOTT SIMON, HOST: When Meta agreed to settle a landmark child safety case this week, it said it would pay up to $17 billion in penalties. That's among the largest settlement payouts by any company in U.S. history. But that's not what the state attorneys ... See more

Meta's settlement with states in a child safety case this week had a big payout, but the attorneys general have their eyes on a bigger prize: national regulation of social media companies. Copyright 2026 NPR Meta's settlement with states in a child safety... See more

Section Branding Header Content Meta, states agree to $17 billion settlement in child safety trial Primary Content Sign up for NPR's Up First morning newsletter for the stories you need to start your day The social media company Meta and states suing it h... See more

California Attorney General Rob Bonta speaks to reporters at a press conference after opening arguments took place in the Meta trial over a lawsuit brought by US states about social media addiction at the Ronald V. Dellums Federal Building and United Stat... See more

Updated August 26, 2026 at 8:22 AM MDT Sign up for NPR's Up First morning newsletter for the stories you need to start your day The social media company Meta and states suing it have agreed to a proposed settlement that would resolve a landmark federal ch... See more