Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel joined a coalition of attorneys general from 47 states, Washington, D.C., and several U.S. territories to announce a major settlement with Meta Platforms, Inc., resolving long-running lawsuits over youth mental health and child safety on Facebook and Instagram.
The deal resolves allegations that Meta intentionally engineered addictive features into its platforms, knowingly exposed minors to psychological harms, and misled the public regarding platform safety.
The settlement also resolves longstanding claims concerning Meta’s sharing of nonpublic Facebook user data with third parties, including Cambridge Analytica, prior to the 2016 election.
Under the agreement, Meta will implement mandatory platform changes aimed at protecting users ages 13 to 17 and detecting children under 13. Michigan is set to receive at least $171 million as part of the financial terms, which include nationwide base payments alongside potential contingency funds.
“For too many years, social media platforms have traded our children’s mental health for engagement on their apps,” said Attorney General Nessel. “This historic settlement holds Meta accountable and puts critical, first-of-its-kind safeguards in place to protect Michigan kids, including daily screen breaks, nighttime access blocks, and the removal of harmful features like public like counts. Now, the responsibility to protect our youth cannot end here. It is my hope that this is a turning point for the entire social media industry to prioritize the safety and well-being of children over their bottom line.”
Key operational reforms required by the settlement include:
Daily Time Limits and Screen Pauses: A default combined two-hour daily limit across Facebook and Instagram, accompanied by mandatory “Productive Pauses” after 15 minutes of continuous use and reminders at 60 and 90 minutes. These rules remain in effect for five years, with provisions to reduce the cap to 60 minutes for 10 years if competing platforms adopt similar standards.
Nighttime and School-Hour Restrictions: A default lockout preventing teen access between 12:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m., along with disabled push notifications during overnight hours and standard school hours (8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on weekdays during the school year).
Age Verification: Enhanced age-assurance systems designed to identify underage users and meet strict error-rate standards.
Content and Display Controls: The removal of public “like” counts and cosmetic surgery filters for teen accounts, alongside expanded parental supervision tools and default protections against content promoting self-harm, eating disorders, and bullying.
An independent auditor will monitor Meta’s implementation and compliance across all settling jurisdictions.
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