India, Aug. 27 -- Social media giant Meta has agreed to a historic settlement worth up to $17.1 billion with a bipartisan coalition of US states, officially resolving a major federal trial alleging that Facebook and Instagram were intentionally designed to addict children and teenagers.

The sweeping agreement, announced in court filings on Wednesday, halts courtroom proceedings that had entered their second week in Oakland, California, before US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers. In addition to the multi-billion-dollar financial payout intended to fund youth mental health initiatives, the accord mandates stringent product reforms across Meta's primary platforms, requiring strict daily usage caps and nighttime access restrictions for ...