Meta reports record third-quarter revenue, but earnings are pressured by very large legal costs tied to a settlement over child safety and teen users. The company says it paid about $9.89 billion as part of a nationwide settlement with US attorneys general, and it frames the impact as a major reduction in operating income.
Across outlets, Meta’s July-to-September results also show strong sales growth. Deadline and Variety both describe the period’s revenue as around $64 billion and note that earnings fall short or are hit by the settlement costs tied to teenage or child safety claims. The Verge additionally provides a counterfactual, stating that operating income would have been higher absent the settlement payment. Deadline also adds that the company’s stock split created Class C shares, affecting how investors track share-based metrics.
Overall, coverage largely agrees on the broad story: strong quarterly revenue coincides with earnings and costs affected by the settlement, though outlet emphasis varies between financial metrics, the settlement’s size, and the stock split detail.
