Idaho to receive millions as part of Meta settlement

Attorney General Raúl Labrador announced today that Idaho will receive a minimum of $89.2 million and a maximum of $127.7 million as part of a multistate settlement with Meta Platforms.

“Protecting children in Idaho is one of the most critical responsibilities of my office,” stated Attorney General Labrador. “Intentionally engineering any product to addict children is unconscionable. Meta’s design was a cynical attempt to create a lifetime user, regardless of the psychological damage and harm our children were exposed to. When this trial began, I said we would hold Meta accountable and today I’ve kept that promise.”  

Beginning in 2021, attorneys general across the country cooperated to investigate the social media industry for designing and promoting platforms to children and teens despite known harms, a press release said. 

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, 55 attorneys general sued Meta individually or as part of a consolidated federal lawsuit, the release said.

In addition to the payment, Meta must implement a sweeping set of safety features designed to protect children on Instagram and Facebook.