Utah among U.S. states to secure settlement with Meta
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Utah is set to receive about $212 million as part of Meta's multistate settlement over allegations that Facebook and Instagram were designed in ways that harm children.
Why it matters: The settlement represents a victory for Utah's attempts to hold social media companies accountable for their perceived mental health impacts on young people.
Driving the news: Meta agreed to provide up to $16.7 billion to states for a variety of public health purposes, including crisis intervention services, after-school programs, outdoor activities and youth mental health programming, Axios' Nathan Bomey reports.
- Meta also agreed to limit under-18 users to 2 hours per day on Facebook and Instagram, block them from accessing the platforms from midnight to 6am, and limit notifications to them during school hours.
- Youth will have the option to have a chronological feed, not an algorithmic one — and parents can make it the default option.
- Kids also won't be able to see likes and other reactions on posts.
The big picture: Utah's fight against social media companies comes as Gov. Spencer Cox has made limiting access to technology in public schools a priority.
- He signed legislation this year banning cellphones during school hours — including meal breaks and recess.
- Cox, who was raised in Sanpete County, vetoed a bill in March that would have allowed rural school districts to apply for grants to fund internet access on school buses.
- "I am very concerned about signaling to our students that we value more time spent on devices rather than more time interacting with one another face-to-face," he said in his veto letter.
Between the lines: Utah is expected to receive the settlement amount over the next decade, according to the state attorney general's office.
The intrigue: Meta also called on TikTok and YouTube in an open letter to join in the deal.
- Utah has similar lawsuits pending against TikTok and Snap.
- If those companies reach settlements similar to Meta's, the state could receive up to $301 million, per the attorney general's office.
What they're saying: "These unprecedented reforms will help protect millions of children, and they make clear that Meta could have chosen to implement these changes and protect children all along," Cox said in a statement.