Meta agreed to pay $18 billion for what its apps did to teenagers | The Pirate Street Journal

The Pirate Street Journal · Sep 9, 2026 · 36m

HERE'S WHAT WE COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:

1. $12.7 billion over ten years is about one percent of a year's revenue.

Meta settled with 48 states and four US jurisdictions. The headline is $18 billion. The guaranteed number is $12.7 billion paid over ten years, against revenue of roughly $200 billion a year. That is about one percent. The attorneys general had asked for $200 billion. The product changes are real: a two hour daily default for under 18s, apps off from midnight to 6 a.m., notifications off during school hours, and only a parent can change any of it. Meta admitted no wrongdoing…