Meta agreed to add teen safeguards on Facebook and Instagram and pay Georgia up to almost $135 million under a multistate settlement. The deal resolves claims that Meta built addictive platforms that harmed youth mental health.
A multistate settlement is one agreement that resolves similar claims by many states at once. Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr announced the proposal on Aug. 26, according to the Georgia Attorney General's Office announcement.
Official resources:
- Read the official notice from Georgia — Use this primary source to verify the official announcement.
- Read the official notice from Capitol Beat — Use this primary source to verify the official announcement.
Table of Contents
- What changes for teen accounts?
- How much money goes to Georgia?
- Is the deal final?
- Can families file for money?
What changes for teen accounts?
The requirements apply to Facebook and Instagram users under 18 and their parents. Meta must add stricter default limits and give parents options for more control, Capitol Beat reports. The defaults described by the Committee for Children include the items below in its youth-safety explanation.
The defaults change time, nighttime access, and social-pressure features. Parents would approve exceptions to overnight blocking. Teens would see less comparison pressure and fewer appearance-altering effects by default.
- a default 2-hour combined daily limit
- blocked access from midnight to 6 a.m. unless a parent approves
- muted notifications during school hours
- hidden likes and reactions to reduce social comparison
- removal of cosmetic-surgery filters for minors
How much money goes to Georgia?
Meta agreed to pay up to $17.1 billion shared among 47 states, Washington, D.C., and U.S. territories.
Georgia would receive close to $100 million and up to almost $135 million, according to the Georgia Attorney General's Office. Georgia's share would go to the state. Officials called it the largest state consumer-protection settlement outside the 1990s tobacco cases, WSB-TV reports, and said it can support child-protection priorities.
Is the deal final?
The proposal was filed in federal district court in California. Capitol Beat reports it would resolve a lawsuit by Georgia and other jurisdictions over teen social-media addiction.
The agreement is proposed and needs court approval. Education Week reports Meta denied wrongdoing while agreeing to pay penalties over about 10 years in its settlement coverage.
Can families file for money?
The available evidence describes payment to states, not direct checks to families. Georgia's share is described as state money for child-protection priorities.
Parents of teens on Facebook or Instagram should watch for new default settings. They can review daily-limit, overnight-access, notification, feed, and autoplay controls when they appear. Georgia residents should follow state announcements about use of the funds.
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