ICYMI: Governor, Attorney General Announce Largest Social Media Settlement in History

CONCORD, NH - On Wednesday, August 26, Governor Kelly Ayotte and Attorney General John Formella announced a landmark $17.1 billion multi-state settlement with Meta Platforms, Inc. Under the settlement, New Hampshire will receive up to $224,344,141 paid in ten equal installments.

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

Coverage of New Hampshire Announcing the Largest Social Media Settlement in History:

WMUR: NH could receive more than $200M in Meta settlement

"Tech companies have used their algorithms and their platforms for profit to the detriment of a generation of children." - Governor Kelly Ayotte

Union Leader: NH to get $224M in landmark Meta social media settlement

Ayotte, a former U.S. senator, said it's time for Congress to stop holding show hearings over this tragic trend for children and change laws that would cover the entire country and apply to all social media companies. Since 1996, these firms have benefited from Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, a broad immunity from being sued under federal law over content."I would hope this is the catalyst that causes the delegation, not only ours, but across the country, to work in a bipartisan basis. There is nothing more bipartisan than protecting children," Ayotte said.

Concord Monitor: Meta settles teen-harm lawsuit; New Hampshire may get $220 million in coming years

New Hampshire's suit argued that Meta used "addictive" algorithms that "exploit the developmental vulnerabilities of children and trap them into never-ending use."

"I think it's time for us to take action federally. New Hampshire is also going to look at legally what action we can take in terms of our laws to protect children from online tech platforms, in terms of what's being served to them and what age they have access to these platforms," Gov. Kelly Ayotte said during Wednesday's press conference.

NHPR: Meta to pay NH up to $224M as part of child safety trial settlement

Research has shown that extensive screen use can lead to addiction-like behaviors and has been linked to issues like depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts in young people. Ayotte called for further action to protect children online on both the state and federal level. She said the state will use the money to bolster young people's mental health and educate parents about tech platforms.

NHJournal: NH Punches Above Its Weight in $224M Meta Settlement

"Nothing is more critical than protecting our children, and social media companies have fallen short of that mission," said Gov. Kelly Ayotte, who joined Formella for the announcement. "With this settlement, we are taking an important step to hold them accountable and ensuring parents have the tools they need to keep their children safe online and safeguard children's mental health."

The payout is unusually large for a state with just 1.4 million residents. Attorney General John Formella said a standard population-based allocation would have guaranteed New Hampshire approximately $60 million. Instead, the state will receive at least $158 million-more than two-and-a-half times that amount-and could collect up to $224,344,141.

New Requirements Meta Must Implement to Protect Children on Instagram and Facebook:

• Default daily time limits and "Productive Pauses" for children: across its two platforms, Instagram and Facebook, a combined default 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. These limits remain in effect for five years. If Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube adopt comparable terms, the daily limit on each platform will drop to 60 minutes for 10 years.
• Default "nighttime blocks" restricting children's access from 12:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m.
• Default 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.
• Age assurance measures to more effectively verify the age of young users, to deter kids under 13 from creating accounts, and to ensure teen users are properly identified.
• Improved content controls, including stronger measures against bullying, content promoting eating disorders, and content related to suicide and self-harm.
• Stronger, more user-friendly parental controls.
• The ability for parents and kids to limit social comparison features, including beauty filters mimicking cosmetic surgery and visible "like" counts, that have been linked to poor mental health outcomes in kids and teens.
• Both the implementation and efficacy of the features will be regularly assessed by an independent auditor and the settling states.