Hunter
08/28/26
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird’s office says that the state will share in the $17.1 billion settlement reached with Meta in a multi-state lawsuit over claims that its platforms were designed to addict children and teens.
The Gazette reports Iowa is guaranteed to receive $126 million in the settlement, to be paid in 10 installments. Meta also agreed to pay an additional $9 million to settle claims for sharing Facebook users’ information with third parties.
Calling the settlement “a massive win for keeping kids safe,” Bird says Iowa plans to hire prosecutors and investigators and fund new technology tools with the settlement money. At least half of the money must be used for mitigating harms caused by the platforms, which include Facebook and Instagram.
As part of the settlement, Meta agreed to implement a daily two-hour time limit for children on their platforms, with mandatory pauses after 15 minutes of continuous use and again at 60 and 90 minutes to interrupt endless scrolling. It also restricts access between midnight and 6am, and eliminates push notifications on weekdays during the school year between 8am and 3pm.