CHARLESTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) – West Virginia is set to receive up to $114.6 million as part of a $17.1 billion multistate settlement with Meta Platforms, Inc., Attorney General JB McCuskey announced Wednesday.
The settlement, which is subject to court approval, resolves claims from 47 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands involving Meta’s operation of Instagram and Facebook.
According to McCuskey’s office, the agreement is the largest state consumer protection settlement in history outside of the Big Tobacco settlements of the 1990s.
States alleged Meta designed Instagram with addictive features, knowingly exposed young users to mental health harms and misled the public about the safety of its platforms.
Under the agreement, West Virginia could receive up to $114,628,039.
“Meta knew the dangers it was exposing our children to, all while assuring parents its platforms were safe. That betrayal of trust demanded accountability, and today we’ve delivered it. This settlement isn’t just about the historic payout; it’s about the real changes Meta has now pledged to make to protect our kids online,” McCuskey said.
“I’m proud of the bipartisan work of attorneys general across the country who put children ahead of politics to make this happen. As the father of two young daughters, this fight – for our kids and their parents’ peace of mind – is personal. As long as companies continue to target our kids as customers, we will fight to ensure their products are safe and secure.”
In addition to the financial settlement, Meta will be required to implement several child-safety measures on Instagram and Facebook.
The changes include a combined two-hour daily time limit for children using Instagram and Facebook, along with mandatory “Productive Pauses” after 15 minutes of continuous use and again at 60 and 90 minutes. Those restrictions will remain in effect for five years.
If Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube adopt comparable measures, the daily limit on each Meta platform would drop to 60 minutes for 10 years.
The agreement also calls for nighttime restrictions preventing children from accessing the platforms between midnight and 6 a.m. and limits during school hours, including the elimination of push notifications between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. on weekdays during the school year.
Meta will also be required to strengthen age verification measures, parental controls and safeguards against bullying and content promoting eating disorders, suicide and self-harm.
Other provisions would limit social comparison features such as beauty filters and visible “like” counts. An independent auditor and the participating states will regularly assess the implementation and effectiveness of the changes.
The settlement follows a nationwide investigation that began in 2021 into social media platforms and their effects on children and teenagers. Attorneys general later sued Meta individually or as part of consolidated federal litigation.
The agreement also resolves state claims involving Meta’s sharing of nonpublic Facebook user information with third parties, including Cambridge Analytica, leading up to the 2016 election.
West Virginia joined attorneys general from dozens of other states and U.S. territories in the settlement.
