Meta Social Media Addiction Settlement

What happened

Meta was sued by 29 state attorneys general for knowingly developing features designed to addict children to social media platforms Facebook and Instagram. Before trial began, Meta settled with 52 state attorneys general across U.S. states, territories, and D.C. for approximately $18 billion. Meta denies any wrongdoing.

Do you qualify?

This is a government enforcement settlement, not a consumer class action. The $18 billion settlement is payable to state attorneys general and does not create a direct claim process for individual consumers or minors affected by the platforms.

What the settlement pays

$12.7 billion (70% of settlement) to be paid by Meta over 10 years; additional $5.3 billion (30%) contingent on YouTube and TikTok implementing similar measures and each paying $2.65 billion

Paid from a $18B settlement fund. Individual amounts depend on how many valid claims are filed.

How to file

This is a government enforcement settlement, not a consumer class action. Individual consumers do not file claims. The settlement requires Meta to implement safety measures including two-hour daily time limits, nighttime app access shutoff, no school-hour notifications, 15-minute screen time prompts, and new parental supervision controls. Compliance will be monitored by an independent auditor reporting annually to states for five years. The settlement must be approved by the courts.