India, Aug. 27 -- Meta has agreed to pay up to $18 billion (£13.3 billion) and overhaul how Facebook and Instagram operate for teenagers, in a landmark settlement ending a legal battle in the US, prompting the charity set up in memory of Molly Russell to renew pressure on Prime Minister Andy Burnham to accelerate Britain's own promised ban on social media for under-16s.

The agreement, announced on Wednesday, resolves claims filed by 47 US states accusing Meta of deliberately designing Instagram and Facebook with addictive features, knowingly exposing young users to serious mental health harms, and misleading the public about the safety of its platforms. It also settles claims that the company unlawfully collected data belonging to c...