Meta Settles Teen Social Media Addiction Lawsuits for $17 Billion

On Wednesday, social media giant Meta — owner of Facebook and Instagram — agreed to settle a slate of lawsuits over teen social media addiction for a total of up to $17.1 billion. If approved in court, Arkansas would receive nearly $172.5 million.

It has been estimated that 95% of American teenagers use social media, and about one-third use it “almost constantly.” But in recent years, state attorneys general have filed lawsuits alleging social media platforms are addictive and harmful.

In 2023, Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin sued Meta in state court for endangering children. In the lawsuit, his office alleged that platforms like Facebook and Instagram are built around algorithms intentionally designed “to exploit human psychology and foster addiction to maximize users’ screen time.” The A.G. says this exploitation is especially harmful for young users with developing brains.

Arkansas’ lawsuit against Meta was the first of its kind, but since then dozens of similar lawsuits have been filed against Meta, TikTok, and other tech giants.

In a statement, Attorney General Griffin called the settlement “historic,” saying, “I am immensely grateful to the incredible attorneys and other staff in my office who have invested countless hours working on this case and helped secure this historic result for Arkansas and its children.”

Meta settled the cases the week before CEO Mark Zuckerberg was set to take the stand in a landmark lawsuit that claims Meta routinely collected data on children under 13 without parental consent, in violation of federal law. The lawsuit also alleges the company knowingly designed its platforms to addict young users and hid what it knew about the harm its platforms caused.

Under this settlement, Meta will be required to shut teen accounts down overnight and limit how long kids spend on Facebook and Instagram.

Meta will also hide the “like” counts it built to keep kids hooked, and it will implement age verification and age-appropriate content controls.

The settlement does not include any admission of wrongdoing on Meta’s part or an apology to anyone who may have been harmed by Meta’s platforms.

It’s worth pointing out that courts in New Mexico and California have already found Meta liable for harming children on its platforms.

Social media giant TikTok has also found itself embroiled in controversies for failing to protect private user data from entities in China — including the Chinese Communist Party.

TikTok has also been accused of serving users a steady “diet of darkness” and violating laws intended to protect children online.

Tech platforms are multibillion-dollar for-profit corporations. The adults who own and profit from these businesses have a responsibility to protect their users — especially teenagers.

Children deserve proactive protection online. If tech companies won’t give children that protection, then it’s up to voters and elected officials to make sure they get it. Family Council appreciates Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin and the other state attorneys general who have gone to court to protect kids online.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.