Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul secured up to $768 million for Illinois in a national settlement with Meta Platforms over teen social-media harms. The deal requires Meta to pay up to $17.1 billion nationwide and add protections for young users on Facebook and Instagram.
Raoul announced the agreement on Aug. 26, 2026, with a bipartisan group of state attorneys general. The states sued Meta in October 2023 after a multi-year investigation into compulsive use, youth mental-health risks, and misleading safety claims.
Official resources:
- Read the official notice from Illinoisattorneygeneral — Use this primary source to verify the official announcement.
- Read the official notice from Nprillinois — Use this primary source to verify the official announcement.
Table of Contents
- What did Illinois accuse Meta of doing?
- What safety changes will affect young users?
- Where will Illinois's $768 million go?
- Can you file a claim for individual payment?
What did Illinois accuse Meta of doing?
The states said Meta built Facebook and Instagram features that encouraged compulsive use by young people. They said the company knew the design exposed youth to serious mental-health harms and misled the public about safety, according to the Illinois Attorney General's Office in its settlement announcement. The lawsuit said Meta exploited youth vulnerabilities to increase time spent on its apps.
That allegation followed a nationwide investigation that led to the October 2023 filing. The states also accused Meta of deceiving users, parents, and the public about risks to youth. They further alleged illegal collection of personal information from children under 13 without parental consent, violating COPPA, the federal children's online-privacy law.
What safety changes will affect young users?
Meta must make child-safety reforms on Instagram and Facebook. The core change is a combined two-hour daily limit for children.
The limit includes mandatory breaks during continuous use: Those pauses are meant to interrupt long sessions and reduce compulsive scrolling. They apply to children covered by the settlement terms.
- a productive pause after 15 minutes of continuous use
- another pause at 60 minutes
- another pause at 90 minutes
Where will Illinois's $768 million go?
Illinois would receive its share over a 10-year period. The money is directed to youth mental-health and online-safety programs, according to Capitol News Illinois in its report on the Illinois payout. That structure matters for families and service providers.
The benefit is broader funding for prevention, treatment, education, and online-safety work, rather than checks tied to past harm. Children, teens, and organizations serving them are the intended beneficiaries. Raoul said Illinois will use the funds to address social-media harms to children. After the Illinois Federation of Teachers urged using the money for education gaps, he called specific spending demands premature, according to Capitol Fax in its roundup of the settlement debate.
Can you file a claim for individual payment?
This settlement is not an individual claim fund for Illinois Facebook or Instagram users. The announced terms send Illinois's share to state-directed youth programs, not household payouts.
Readers should also treat the headline amounts as ceilings. The deal faced court approval at announcement, and final state payouts depend on approval and settlement terms. Watch future notices from the Attorney General's Office for program funding decisions.