Hawai‘i will receive up to $76 million over the next decade from the owner of Instagram and Facebook.
The announcement came after a $17.1 billion settlement between the tech giant Meta and the states that had sued over social media’s effects on children. This marks one of the largest state consumer protection settlements in history outside the Big Tobacco settlements in the 1990s.
State Attorney General Anne Lopez said she hopes the money will go towards youth mental health services and education opportunities for families about social media.
“I want people to know that social media has been one of the biggest harms to our youth's mental health, and those harms have been growing,” she said. “AI (artificial intelligence) is the next type of social media that is going to be one that we have to regulate.”
The state’s allocation could rise if other social media companies like YouTube, Snapchat and TikTok also agree to pay damages as part of the settlement.
Along with the payouts, Meta is placing safety features on children's accounts. It includes a daily two-hour time limit, a nighttime block from midnight to 6 a.m., and limiting cosmetic or beauty filters.
Lopez said Meta is responsible for implementing its new process, including ensuring age verification of its users.
The agreement also requires an independent auditor to ensure Meta is complying with the terms of the settlement agreement.
View the settlement here:
