Meta to pay $1 billion in Texas settlement and adopt child safety measures

Meta Platforms Inc. agreed on Tuesday to pay $1 billion and adopt new child‑safety safeguards on its social‑media services as part of a settlement with the state of Texas. The deal resolves a lawsuit that accused the company of failing to protect minors from harmful content and of violating state consumer‑protection statutes. Under the agreement, Meta will not admit wrongdoing but will be required to implement a suite of measures designed to verify users’ ages, enhance parental‑control tools, and strengthen content‑moderation practices for younger audiences.

The settlement obligates Meta to submit regular compliance reports to the Texas Attorney General and to allow state officials to audit its safety protocols. The company must also develop clearer privacy notices for minors, provide more robust reporting mechanisms for abusive material, and fund a $500 million education fund aimed at digital‑literacy programs for children. The agreement, which is expected to take effect within the next six months, represents one of the largest financial penalties ever imposed on a technology firm for child‑protection violations and may serve as a template for similar actions in other jurisdictions.