Meta deal is 'major victory' for state
$17B settlement adds safety features for kids
By: Katie Sobko
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey
..... A major federal lawsuit co-led by the New Jersey attorney general that include almost every state in the nation against social media giant Meta Platforms Incorporated reached a settlement on August 26. [2026]
..... New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport announced that the settlement amount would be about $17.1 billion with the company behind such sites as Instagram and Facebook.
.....
The settlement requires Meta to implement safety features designed to protect children and teenagers.
..... As a leader in the effort, New Jersey will receive at least $525 million and could receive more tan $752 million.
..... Claims by 47 states as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands alleged that the company's platforms had addictive features, knowingly exposed young users to serious mental harms and intentionally misled the public about the safety of its platforms.
..... Davenport said in a statement that "as a parent, protecting your kids is always your North Star."
..... "This agreement achieves critical protections for our children today," [08/26/2026] she said.
..... "It would not have been possible without our amazing litigation team, who worked with their counterparts across the country to bring this ground-breaking case."
Safety features required
* A daily time limit of two hours combined for Instagram and Facebook use, wit automatic pauses after 15 minutes of continuous use, and again after 60 and 90 minutes - to remain in effect for five years.
* If Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube adopt comparable terms, the daily limit on each platform will drop to 60 minutes and extend to 10 years.
* "Nighttime blocks"
restricting youth access from midnight to 6 AM.
*Limited school time access for children, with limited push notifications on weekdays from 8 AM. to 3 PM. during the school year.
* Enhance procedures to verify the age of uses more effectively.
* Stronger safeguards against bullying content promoting eating disorders, and content related to suicide and self-harm.
* Parent controls that are easier to sue and more effective.
* Restricted social \comparison features including beauty filters and visitable "like" counts linked to poor mental health outcomes in children and teens.
* Independent audits of Meta's implementation and the impact of these new safety features, reported to and reviewed by concerned states.
..... Governor Mikie Sherrill called the settlement a "major victory for New Jersey families.
..... "Big Tech is finally being held accountable for the harm it is causing, especially to our children's mental health and safer\y," she said. "Parents and teens will finally get some relief, including ground-breaking new safety features to protect kids Online."
..... The governor said the lawsuit is a "big step in ending the addiction that the technology companies are pushing on kids for profit."
..... This lawsuit was initially filed in 2023, but the trial started in California last week. [08/17/2026] The attorneys general on the trial team were Davenport, California's Rob Bonta, Colorado's Phil Weiser and Kentucky's Russell Coleman.
..... Meta will pay a minimum of $12.1 billion and up to $17.1 billion.
.... In addition to the Online safety suit, many states - including New Jersey - announced that claims against Meta for sharing nonpublic information about Facebook users with third parties like Cambridge analytics in the run-up to the 2016 election were settled.
..... Meta will pay more than $460 million to settle those separate data-privacy claims. new Jersey will receive more than $20 million.