TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida is now the only state in the nation to reject its share of a landmark, nearly $18 billion settlement with Meta over allegations the company knowingly harmed children's mental health with its addictive platforms.
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Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the state will proceed with its own lawsuit. New Mexico is also not included in the 48-state settlement, but for a different reason: the state already took Meta to trial independently and won a separate $942 million judgment.
Why Florida is Going It Alone
In a series of statements, Uthmeier blasted the national settlement as insufficient, calling the payout "peanuts" and a "slap on the wrist" for the trillion-dollar parent company of Facebook and Instagram.
"Florida didn't join the Meta settlement," Uthmeier wrote on the social media platform X. "The payouts are peanuts compared to the profound harms Meta’s profit-driven addictive features inflicted on kids, and a slap on the wrist for a trillion-dollar corp."
He argued the total settlement amounts to roughly one month of revenue for Meta and fails to create a real deterrent.
"Corporations like Meta will never learn a lesson if they don’t incur real costs for breaking the law," Uthmeier added. "We will hold them accountable in Florida."
Details of the Multi-State Settlement
The agreement requires Meta to pay the nearly $18 billion over 10 years to the participating states and territories. The funds are designated for youth online safety programs and other state-level priorities.
"Meta was telling parents everywhere that their top concern was the safety of their children and it wasn’t," North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson said in a statement. "Their top concern was making a buck."
The settlement also mandates new safety features on Meta's platforms, including:
- A two-hour daily time limit for teenage users.
- Blocking platform access between midnight and 6 a.m.
- Muting all notifications during school hours.
According to the terms, Meta has committed to paying 70% of the settlement upfront, with the remaining 30% contingent on competitors like YouTube and TikTok agreeing to similar restrictions.
What's Next for Florida
While New Mexico's case against Meta has been resolved with its massive judgment, Florida's legal battle is just beginning. It is unclear when the state's independent case will go to court, but the Attorney General's office has pledged to continue its fight.
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