Texas, North Carolina and South Dakota have received Meta settlement funds so far. Texas was paid under its 2024 biometric-privacy settlement, while North Carolina and South Dakota received first installments under the 2026 youth-addiction settlement.
The youth-addiction case involves state claims over social-media features that states say encouraged compulsive teen use. The biometric-privacy case involved Texas claims over unauthorized capture of biometric identifiers. In both cases, announced payments went to the state, not to individual residents.
Official resources:
- Read the official notice from Texasattorneygeneral — Use this primary source to verify the official announcement.
- Read the official notice from Sd — Use this primary source to verify the official announcement.
Table of Contents
- Which state payments have arrived?
- How large is the multistate deal?
- Why are most payments still pending?
- Who controls the money?
Which state payments have arrived?
NC Voices, citing Attorney General Jeff Jackson, reports North Carolina received $45,167,732 on Oct. 1 as its first installment North Carolina payment report. The payment counts toward a guaranteed $451 million, with up to $645 million possible through 2035.
The South Dakota Attorney General reports South Dakota received its first $9 million payment South Dakota payment notice. According to the Office of the Texas Attorney General, Texas secured a $1.4 billion biometric-privacy settlement in 2024 Texas settlement announcement. The office described it as the largest single-state recovery, with funds paid to the state over five years.
How large is the multistate deal?
Canadian Lawyer, reporting the Associated Press, puts the youth-addiction agreement at up to $17.1-$18 billion paid over 10 years. The same reporting says 47-48 states plus D.C. and territories joined the claims.
The Associated Press, via KCAU, lists California as the largest share at $1.5 billion to $2.1 billion if approved. Bloomberg Law, citing an Aug. 25 state email, reports Texas made a separate side deal outside the multistate case. The deal is $1.05 billion, rising to $1.335 billion on conditions.
Why are most payments still pending?
Canadian Lawyer, reporting the Associated Press, notes court approval is still required in the Northern District of California settlement approval summary. Under the same reporting, about $5 billion depends on YouTube and TikTok adopting matching terms.
The same reporting lists Florida and New Mexico as excluded. State announcements describe multistate payments in installments over 10 years, with North Carolina scheduled through 2035. That structure means first checks do not show the full state total.
Who controls the money?
Settlement guidance described by the South Dakota Attorney General says legislatures control spending. The South Dakota Attorney General says the state placed its funds in its Consumer Protection Fund pending legislative allocation.
The same guidance directs youth mental-health and after-school uses. Residents should track their own attorney general and legislature, not a consumer claim form.
- Check your attorney general release for first-payment status.
- Watch legislative budget decisions for final use.
- Save AG contact for future benefit-program notices.