OLYMPIA, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Washington is receiving a significant portion of what’s been called the largest Big Tech settlement in history.
Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown announced on Wednesday, Aug. 26, that a coalition of 46 states have reached a $17.1 billion settlement with Meta Platforms, Inc.
It ended a lawsuit accusing the company of knowingly failing to protect children on Facebook and Instagram.
Washington will receive $237 million guaranteed and up to nearly $339 million over the next 10 years. That extra funding is contingent on the states working with other social media companies to secure similar agreements.
The funds will support programs that address the mental health impacts of youth social media use, along with the state’s continued enforcement of consumer protection laws.
“Let me say to the young people of Washington state: This agreement shows that your health and safety is more important than Meta’s profits,” Brown said in a news release. “Ever since taking office, I’ve been fighting to protect Washington children online. Now, through the hard work of state attorneys general across the country, including our own consumer protection team, we’ve delivered a transformative settlement that will help break compulsive screen use and allow kids across our state to live healthier lives, with more time for sleep, learning, and building social skills.”
In addition to the payment, Meta will have to add a variety of safety features designed to protect children on Facebook and Instagram.
My Bellingham Now previously reported that the Bellingham and Blaine school districts have joined a separate lawsuit against Meta and other social media companies with similar claims.
