(The Center Square) – Child-safety measures for children and $353 million from a $17.1 billion settlement are coming to Virginia from Meta, owner of the Facebook and Instagram platforms.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg was spared a spot on the stand to tell jurors his side in a California federal court. Thirty-two states sued in October 2023.
“For years, Meta intentionally deceived the public about the addictive and harmful design features that have wreaked havoc on youth mental health,” first-term Democratic Attorney General Jay Jones said.
The settlement is the one of the largest for consumer protection in state history. For Meta, the total amount is 8.5% of its $201 billion in 2025 revenue.
Pending federal court approval of the settlement, Meta will have to determine if users are ages 13-17. Then, the protections include a daily time limit; nighttime block; no school hour notifications; scrolling pauses; and no more counts for likes and reactions.
“Today’s historic settlement proves that no matter how deep a company’s pockets, or how vast their legal armies, when major corporations and Big Tech companies put the safety of our children at risk to turn a profit, Virginia will bring them to justice,” Jones said. “With this relief, Virginia will finally be able to put substantial resources behind initiatives to undo these harms, prevent future harms and change the face of how young people interact with social media for years to come by continuing to hold social media companies accountable.”
This post was originally published on The Center Square.
