Oakland, Aug. 26 -- Meta has agreed to make major changes to Facebook and Instagram aimed at protecting children and teenagers as part of a proposed settlement with US states over allegations that its social media platforms harmed young users.

The settlement, filed on Wednesday in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, would introduce default daily time limits, restrictions on overnight use, stronger parental controls and new measures to determine users' ages. The agreement remains subject to court approval.

Under the proposed terms, users below 18 will face a default daily usage limit of two hours, which can only be lifted by a parent. Meta will also block access for teenage users between midnight and 6 am by de...