Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman and his team led the charge to hold Meta accountable, along with California, Colorado, and New Jersey.
Shannon Moody, executive director of Kentucky Youth Advocates, said the lawsuit could spur lawmakers to take action next session on directing the settlement funds to afterschool and summer programming.
"Young people have more opportunities to connect in real life with investment of those funds for potentially out-of-school time opportunities, or sports, or things that keep them in the community learning and playing," Moody explained.
Under the settlement, which is still subject to court approval, Kentucky is due to receive $358 million. In the lawsuit, the states claimed Meta used harmful features to drive compulsive use by children and teens, despite claiming the platforms were safe for young users.
Immediate changes Meta must implement as part of the settlement to Facebook and Instagram include daily time limits and pauses on endless scrolling for children and restricting children’s access from midnight to 6 a.m. Moody stressed new changes will also help empower parents to exercise stronger control over their child’s social media use.
"We are glad to see the online safety enhancements being put in place, especially when it comes to the nighttime blocks and the daytime blocks for access for young people," Moody added.
Most changes will be in effect for a decade. An independent auditor and the settling states will regularly assess the implementation and efficacy of the features. In a statement, Meta called on TikTok and YouTube to join them in making similar changes for youth.
This story was produced with original reporting by McKenna Horsley for the Kentucky Lantern.
