Meta’s U.S. settlement restricts teens from applying a specifically defined class of cosmetic-procedure filters on Instagram and Facebook; it does not cover every effect. On October 25, 2026, NPR reported that states were nearing the end of their two-month guidance window and that Meta planned to enforce the restriction by early 2027.

What counts as a covered filter

The agreement applies to users whose stated or predicted age is 13 through 17. It defines a Cosmetic Procedure Filter as a digital filter or augmented-reality (AR) effect that distorts, sculpts, redefines or idealizes a face in a way that would require cosmetic surgery or extreme makeup to achieve without the effect.

The restriction concerns teens applying those effects to content on the covered Meta services. It does not prohibit every filter.

Which effects are excluded

The agreement expressly excludes several categories:

  • Fantasy, fictional-character and animal transformations.
  • Smoothing or appearance changes achievable with ordinary makeup, provided they do not alter facial structure or meaningfully change skin tone.
  • Parody, satire and exaggerated effects that fall outside normal cosmetic procedures.

These boundaries make the settlement narrower than a general restriction on beauty effects. The agreement also calls for states to give Meta illustrative examples of covered and excluded effects.

Which users, services and places are covered

The agreement’s defined services include Instagram and Facebook, in existing and future app and web versions, subject to specified exclusions such as direct messaging. NPR reported that the settlement involves 47 states, Washington, D.C., and three U.S. territories.

The agreement says its terms do not establish a standard or precedent in non-participating states or international jurisdictions. It also says the settlement is not an admission of liability or wrongdoing and does not give people who are not parties a private right to enforce it.

When the states’ guidance is due

The two-month period starts on the agreement’s Effective Date, defined as the first business day after the court enters the consent judgment. The settlement exhibit bears an August 26, 2026 filing stamp; the agreement ties the guidance deadline to court entry instead. The states’ letter is to give Meta examples of effects that fall inside or outside the definition.

NPR reported on October 25 that the states were nearing the end of that guidance window. The same report said Meta planned to enforce the filter restriction by early 2027, a reported target rather than a completed rollout.