India, Aug. 27 -- Meta Platforms has agreed to pay up to USD 18 billion over the next decade and introduce stricter controls for teenage users of Facebook and Instagram under a settlement with almost all US states. The agreement brings a federal trial over allegations that Meta designed its platforms in ways that encouraged addictive use among children and teenagers to a close.

The case arose from a wave of lawsuits filed by US states, school districts and families alleging that Meta knowingly designed Instagram and Facebook to maximise engagement among young users, despite internal concerns about the effects on children's mental health and wellbeing. The claims focused on features such as personalised recommendations, notifications, inf...