North Carolina received $45,167,732 from Meta as the first installment. This money comes from a settlement over child safety concerns on Facebook and Instagram. The payment is part of a $17.1 billion agreement that could bring up to $645 million to the state by 2035.
The state is guaranteed at least $451 million. An additional $194 million is available if other major social media companies agree to similar safety measures. The remaining funds will be paid in nine installments each Jan. 15, starting in January 2027.
“This settlement is about holding Meta accountable and protecting children,” said Attorney General Jeff Jackson, according to NC Newsline. “Not only does it require Meta to make major safety changes to its platforms, but it brings hundreds of millions of dollars to our state.”
North Carolina and 32 other states sued Meta in federal court in Oct. 2023. The states claimed the company violated consumer protection laws. They said Meta designed its platforms to increase the time children spent on them. Meanwhile, the company downplayed mental health risks. Jackson announced the settlement in Aug., and a judge approved it hours later.
How the state uses the funds will be decided by legislation passed by the General Assembly. Jackson has encouraged lawmakers to direct the money toward after-school programs and summer programs. He wants crisis helplines for children. He also wants school health personnel.
The settlement requires Meta to put in place measures keeping children under 13 off Facebook and Instagram. Teen accounts will have new default protections within a few months.
Teens will face a two-hour daily limit. After hitting that limit, accounts will time out, restricting access to feeds and scrolling. Direct messages will remain available.
Feeds will be blocked from midnight to 6 a.m. each night. Notifications will be disabled from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Non-messenger notifications will turn off from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays between Aug. 15 and June 15.
The platforms will show pop-up notifications every 15 minutes of continuous use. Harder pauses will kick in after 60 minutes. Then another at 90 minutes.
Counts for likes and reactions will be turned off by default on posts, stories, and reels. Meta will also ban filters that mimic cosmetic surgery or alter body shapes.
South Carolina will get $246,976,186 from the settlement, according to WPDE. The agreement includes 47 states and the District of Columbia.
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