2 outlets quote this line 2 different ways.

Who reported it

• upi.comWIRE
• abc.net.auPUBLIC
• cbc.caPUBLIC
• cbsnews.comINDEP
• • channelnewsasia.comINDEP
  • news.sky.comINDEP
  • scmp.comINDEP
  one owner · DMGT (Daily Mail)
• • cnbc.comUNCLASSIFIED
  • nbcnews.comINDEP
  one owner · Comcast / NBCUniversal
• rte.iePUBLIC
• s.france24.comPUBLIC
• • smh.com.auINDEP
  • theage.com.auINDEP
  identical copy
• thehill.comINDEP

References

• upi.comMeta reaches $16.7 billion settlement in social media addiction caseOriginalNo durable copy — do not citecaptured 2026-08-26T18:34:43
• abc.net.auMeta to pay $23 billion to settle teen social media addiction casesOriginalNo durable copy — do not citecaptured 2026-08-26T18:34:43
• cbc.caMeta agrees to make changes, pay up to $18B US over social media harms to childrenOriginalNo durable copy — do not citecaptured 2026-08-26T18:34:43
• cbsnews.comMeta to pay $17 billion settlement in social media addiction trialOriginalNo durable copy — do not citecaptured 2026-08-26T18:34:43
• channelnewsasia.comMeta agrees to pay $18 billion to settle lawsuits over children's social media addictionOriginalNo durable copy — do not citecaptured 2026-08-26T18:34:43
• cnbc.comMeta settles social media addiction case with California, other states for $16.7 billionOriginalNo durable copy — do not citecaptured 2026-08-26T18:34:43
• nbcnews.comMeta agrees to settle social media addiction claims with states for up to $18 billionOriginalNo durable copy — do not citecaptured 2026-08-26T18:34:43
• news.sky.comMeta agrees to pay up to $18bn to settle social media addiction trialOriginalNo durable copy — do not citecaptured 2026-08-26T18:34:43
• rte.ieMeta reaches $16.68bn settlement over social media harmsOriginalNo durable copy — do not citecaptured 2026-08-26T18:34:43
• s.france24.comMeta reaches $17 billion settlement with US states over social media harm to teensOriginalNo durable copy — do not citecaptured 2026-08-26T18:34:43
• scmp.comMeta agrees to pay US$17 billion to settle teen social media addiction case in USOriginalNo durable copy — do not citecaptured 2026-08-26T18:34:43
• smh.com.auMeta reaches $24 billion settlement over teen social media addictionOriginalNo durable copy — do not citecaptured 2026-08-26T18:34:43
• theage.com.auMeta reaches $24 billion settlement over teen social media addictionOriginalNo durable copy — do not citecaptured 2026-08-26T18:34:43
• thehill.comMeta settles for $17B in landmark social media caseOriginalNo durable copy — do not citecaptured 2026-08-26T18:34:43

Carried by multiple outlets

• Meta agreed to settle lawsuits brought by US states over social media addiction and harm to children.upi.com, abc.net.au, cbc.ca, cbsnews.com, channelnewsasia.com, cnbc.com, nbcnews.com, rte.ie, scmp.com, smh.com.au, theage.com.au
• The settlement was announced on or reached on Wednesday, August 26, 2026.upi.com, cbc.ca, channelnewsasia.com, cnbc.com, nbcnews.com, rte.ie, scmp.com, smh.com.au, theage.com.au
• Meta agreed to restrict teenage use of Facebook and Instagram to two hours per day and block access from midnight to 6 a.m., absent parental consent.cbc.ca, channelnewsasia.com, nbcnews.com
• Meta agreed to enhance measures to prevent children from accessing age-restricted content.cbc.ca, cnbc.com, nbcnews.com, rte.ie
• The settlement includes additional parental tools and monitoring capabilities.upi.com, cnbc.com
• Meta denies wrongdoing in agreeing to settle.cbc.ca, nbcnews.com, rte.ie
• and 6 more, not shown

Reported by one outlet only

• As part of the settlement, all parties, including Meta, waive all rights to appeal the final judgment.only upi.com
• Meta's initial payment in the settlement will total about $12 billion.only upi.com
• California may receive between $1.5 billion to $2.1 billion in the settlement.only upi.com, cnbc.com
• The settlement includes proof of age standards.only upi.com
• The settlement may reach up to $17.1 billion if other platforms, including TikTok and YouTube, agree to settle their cases with the states.only upi.com, cnbc.com
• The settlement resolves claims brought by 47 US states.only abc.net.au, scmp.com, smh.com.au, theage.com.au

Reported unevenly

• Total settlement payment amount in USDstated by upi.com: $16.7 billion, cbc.ca: up to $18 billion, cbsnews.com: up to $17 billion, channelnewsasia.com: up to $18 billion, cnbc.com: $16.7 billion, nbcnews.com: approximately $18 billion, rte.ie: maximum $16.68 billion, scmp.com: $17 billion, smh.com.au: $17 billion, theage.com.au: $17 billion
• Number of states involved in the settlementstated by upi.com: 29 state attorneys general, abc.net.au: 47 states (with 29 being the original signatories), cbc.ca: states across the United States (unspecified number), cbsnews.com: multi-state (unspecified number), channelnewsasia.com: nearly all U.S. states, cnbc.com: state attorneys general (unspecified number), nbcnews.com: state of California and a number of other states (unspecified number), rte.ie: 29 US states, scmp.com: 47 US states, smh.com.au: 47 states, theage.com.au: 47 states

Not yet confirmed against a primary source

• The discrepancy between 29 states and 47 states: clarify whether 29 represents the original litigants in the main trial (California, Colorado, Kentucky, New Jersey) plus others, and 47 represents the total number of states included in the final multi-part settlement. Outlets do not consistently explain this distinction.
• Settlement amount: confirm from court filing or Meta's official statement whether the base settlement is $16.7 billion, $17 billion, or $18 billion, and whether the distinction between these figures reflects different components (e.g., base vs. contingent payments, or base vs. inclusive of related Cambridge Analytica settlements).
• Cambridge Analytica component: only rte.ie reports the settlement also resolves Cambridge Analytica-related claims with a separate $459.3 million allocation. Verify whether this is part of the total announced figures or additional.