Kautz: Wyoming to receive more than $13M in Meta settlement

CHEYENNE (WNE)  — Wyoming Attorney General Keith G. Kautz on Wednesday announced a landmark $17.1 billion multistate settlement with Meta Platforms, Inc. — the largest state consumer protection settlement in history outside the Big Tobacco settlements of the 1990s.

“This settlement is a monumental victory for the protection of America’s children and will fundamentally transform how the entire social media industry designs products for kids and teens,” a news release from the attorney general’s office said. 

Under the settlement, Wyoming will receive $13,303,734.

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

The agreement resolves claims by 47 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands that the company designed Instagram with addictive features, knowingly exposed young users to serious mental harms and intentionally misled the public about the safety of its platforms, among other things.

“We are thrilled to announce this settlement with Meta, given that it will provide tangible relief to kids in Wyoming, as well as nationwide, through the safety features Meta will be required to implement,” said Kautz. 

He also acknowledged that this problem extends well beyond one company and credited Meta for being the first major platform to reach a comprehensive resolution on youth safety. 

“This is a historic first step in the fight to protect youth mental health, and we hope to see this trend continue with similar commitments from other members of the social media industry,” he said.