FRANKFORT, Ky. (Aug. 26, 2026)- Attorney General Russell Coleman announced today a proposed landmark $17.1 billion multistate settlement with Meta, the parent company to Facebook and Instagram. Kentucky was one of four states joining California, Colorado, and New Jersey, in leading efforts in federal court to make social media platforms safer for kids in the Commonwealth and across the country. Tennessee filed a separate action and brought it to trial in state court. Under the terms of the settlement, Kentucky will receive $358 million.
The settlement comes just one week into what was expected to be a six-to-eight-week trial in Oakland, California. The settlement is one of the largest state consumer protection settlements in the country’s history, comparable to the Big Tobacco settlements of the 1990s. In addition to the payment, Meta has agreed to implement widespread safety features to protect children on Instagram and Facebook. The agreement resolves claims by 48 other states and D.C., Guam, and Puerto Rico that the company designed Instagram and its products with addictive features, knowingly exposed young users to serious mental harms, and intentionally misled the public about the safety of its platforms.
“While Meta is certainly paying for its conduct, this was never just about the money. Kids deserve a childhood that isn’t measured in likes and followers. The online protections delivered by this settlement will bring a generational change that will make social media platforms safer for Kentucky families,” said Attorney General Coleman.
While safety improvements are ongoing, the settlement requires Meta to implement immediate changes on Instagram and Facebook, including:
● Time limits and “Productive Pauses” for children: for its two platforms, Instagram and Facebook, a combined two-hour daily time limit with mandatory pauses after 15 minutes of continuous use and again at 60 and 90 minutes to interrupt endless scrolling.
● “Nighttime blocks” restricting children’s access from 12:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m.
● Limited school-time access for children, eliminating push notifications on weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. during the school year.
● Robust age assurance measures to more effectively verify the age of young users.
● Safer, age-appropriate content controls, including stronger safeguards against bullying, content promoting eating disorders, and content related to suicide and self-harm.
● Stronger, more user-friendly parental controls.
Most of the changes will be in effect for 10 years. Both the implementation and efficacy of the features will be regularly assessed by an independent auditor and the settling states, including Kentucky. Notably, this provides a template to increase online safety protections on other social media platforms.
To hear more from Attorney General Coleman on this historic settlement click here.
Kentucky will also receive nearly $7.5 million from Meta to settle its investigation regarding Cambridge Analytica. Leading up to the 2016 election, it was revealed Meta shared nonpublic information about its users with third parties like the political consulting and data analytics firm.
This settlement is subject to court approval.
Background: Beginning in 2021, nearly every attorney general in the country collaborated to investigate the social media industry for designing and promoting platforms to children and teens despite known harms. After a bipartisan, nationwide investigation found that Meta designed Instagram’s features to addict children while internally documenting the resulting mental health harms and failing to warn parents, 51 attorneys general sued Meta individually or as part of a consolidated federal lawsuit. This settlement resolves those cases and claims by the other settling states and territories. Attorney General Coleman has ongoing litigation against TikTok and gaming platforms like Roblox, alleging the companies placed profits above the safety of children.
The attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Northern Mariana Islands, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming joined the settlement.