Massachusetts to receive at least $366 million as Meta agrees to major changes to Instagram and Facebook
BOSTON — August 26, 2026 — Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell has reached a landmark settlement with Meta requiring major changes to Instagram and Facebook to better protect children and teens from the potential harms of social media.
The $17.1 billion multistate agreement, which still requires court approval, is the largest state consumer protection settlement in history outside of the Big Tobacco settlements of the 1990s. Massachusetts is set to receive at least $366 million, with the potential for the total to reach $516 million.
“This settlement is about more than a financial penalty — it’s about changing the way Big Tech does business,” Campbell said. “We secured meaningful, long-term changes to Meta’s products and practices, while delivering real resources to Massachusetts.”
What will change for young users
Under the settlement, Meta must establish an enhanced age-verification system within a year to identify users under 13 and teens ages 13 to 18. The system will not require users to provide government identification or other sensitive information.
Children under 13 will not be allowed to use Instagram or Facebook. Teen accounts will receive additional protections, including:
- A 120-minute daily usage limit across Instagram and Facebook.
- No access between midnight and 6 a.m., with notifications blocked from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
- Notifications silenced during typical school hours, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Prompts encouraging teens to turn off autoplay and personalized algorithmic feeds.
- Break reminders after periods of continuous or cumulative use.
- Like counts and other social reaction totals hidden on teens’ posts.
- Cosmetic-surgery-style filters disabled for teen users.
- Teen accounts set to private by default.
- Stronger restrictions on adults contacting or viewing the accounts of teens they have not connected with.
Major investment in Massachusetts
The settlement will provide Massachusetts with at least $366 million over the next 10 years, including funds related to separate claims involving Facebook and the misuse of consumer information in the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
The Commonwealth plans to use the money to address social media-related harms and support young people through:
- Youth crisis intervention and mental health services
- After-school, summer and outdoor programs
- Digital wellness and media literacy initiatives
- Phone-free school programs
- Training for medical providers on interactive media use and body dysmorphia
A portion of the settlement funds will also go to the state’s General Fund.
Years of legal action
The agreement follows years of investigation and litigation by Massachusetts. In 2021, the Attorney General’s Office helped lead a nationwide investigation into Instagram’s impact on young people. Campbell sued Meta and Instagram in 2023, alleging that the platforms were intentionally designed to encourage addictive use among young people and that the company prioritized growth and revenue over their wellbeing.
A major legal breakthrough came in April 2026, when the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that federal Section 230 protections do not automatically shield social media companies from claims involving the design and operation of their own products.
That ruling allowed Massachusetts’ case against Meta to move forward and helped clear the way for the settlement.
Massachusetts plans to keep pushing
Campbell said the agreement is an important step, but not the end of the state’s efforts to protect young people online. Her office is also pursuing a lawsuit against TikTok and has worked with state lawmakers on legislation that would strengthen youth protections online and establish bell-to-bell, phone-free schools.
The Attorney General’s Office has also launched a $500,000 Phone-Free Schools Support Grant and created resources to help parents understand and address online risks.
Gov. Maura Healey praised the settlement, calling it a historic achievement that will provide “real protections for kids and hundreds of millions of dollars for Massachusetts.”
The settlement was joined by attorneys general from states and territories across the country, making it one of the largest coordinated efforts by state governments to hold a major technology company accountable for its treatment of young users.
