News Releases

ICYMI: Attorney General Jones Secures Transformative Settlement with Meta, Delivering the Commonwealth $353 Million 

RICHMOND, Va. -- Attorney General Jones announced a nearly $17 billion settlement against Meta. Virginia will receive a guaranteed $353 million from this agreement. The settlement forces Meta to change their business practices and operate in a way that doesn’t harm children, fundamentally changing the way future generations experience social media. 

PRESS RELEASE: Attorney General Jay Jones Announces a $17 Billion Landmark Settlement with Meta with $353 Million Guaranteed for Virginia   

“For years, Meta intentionally deceived the public about the addictive and harmful design features that have wreaked havoc on youth mental health. I am elated to announce a settlement agreement that will put an end to these dangerous practices and deliver meaningful relief that will protect children from online harm,” said Attorney General Jay Jones. “For the past five years, this office and its dedicated public servants have stood tall against one of the largest tech giants in the country and refused to back down in the face of costly and time-consuming investigations, legal battles, and sophisticated legal schemes to prevent accountability. Today’s historic settlement proves that no matter how deep a company’s pockets, or how vast their legal armies, when major corporations and Big Tech companies put the safety of our children at risk to turn a profit, Virginia will bring them to justice. With this relief, Virginia will finally be able to put substantial resources behind initiatives to undo these harms, prevent future harms and change the face of how young people interact with social media for years to come by continuing to hold social media companies accountable.”    

PBS: Meta reaches $17 billion settlement with states in landmark trial over teen social media addiction  

Meta has agreed to pay $17 billion and add stronger child-safety measures to its Facebook and Instagram platforms to end a landmark trial over teen social media addiction and settle claims filed by 47 states, state attorneys general announced Wednesday. 

The settlement resolves a pivotal legal case years in the making that sought to hold the tech giant accountable for the role its platforms played in undermining children's mental health. The effort targeted features designed to hook young people's attention 

"For years, Meta intentionally deceived the public about the addictive and harmful design features that have wreaked havoc on youth mental health," Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones said. The settlement "will put an end to these dangerous practices and deliver meaningful relief that will protect children from online harm." 

Associated Press: Meta reaches landmark $18 billion settlement with states in landmark trial over teen social media addiction 

The settlement “will put an end to these dangerous practices and deliver meaningful relief that will protect children from online harm,” Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones said. 

[...] 

Under the proposed settlement, Meta agreed to adopt a series of safety features, including two-hour daily time limits that can only be disabled with a parent’s permission and pauses for children using Instagram and Facebook. 

The company will eliminate push notifications during weekday school hours and bring in “robust” age-assurance measures and “age-appropriate” content controls to prevent bullying and harmful material about eating disorders and self-harm. 

Richmond Times Dispatch: $353M from Meta settlement a 'down payment on reforms,' says Virginia AG 

A $17 billion settlement between the owner of Facebook and 48 states, including Virginia, is a “down payment on reforms” to make social media more accountable to the needs of children, Virginia’s attorney general said.  

The settlement, announced Wednesday, requires Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, to put a hard cap of two hours a day on screen times for users under the age of 18, with mandatory pauses after 15 minutes of continuous use, and additional pauses at 60 and 90 minutes to interrupt endless scrolling. It would also block kids from getting on the platforms between midnight and 6 a.m. 

[…] 

“This is a momentous day for Virginia,” he said, adding that we “were going up against a juggernaut and won.” 

13NewsNow: Jay Jones on landmark $17 billion Meta settlement 

Meta, the owner of Instagram and Facebook, will pay Virginia hundreds of millions of dollars and make sweeping changes to its platforms to protect children as part of a massive, multi-billion-dollar settlement.

The $17 billion, 47-state settlement resolves a pivotal legal case years in the making that sought to hold the tech giant accountable for the role its platforms played in undermining children's mental health. The effort targeted features designed to hook young people's attention. 

"For years, Meta intentionally deceived the public about the addictive and harmful design features that have wreaked havoc on youth mental health," Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones said. The settlement "will put an end to these dangerous practices and deliver meaningful relief that will protect children from online harm." 

[...] 

"With this relief, Virginia will finally be able to put substantial resources behind initiatives to undo these harms, prevent future harms and change the face of how young people interact with social media for years to come by continuing to hold social media companies accountable,” Jones said.     

Virginia Mercury: Virginia to receive $353 million in landmark Meta child-safety settlement 

Virginia is set to receive at least $353 million from Meta Platforms Inc. under a major multistate settlement that would also require the parent company of Facebook and Instagram to adopt new safeguards aimed at protecting children from addictive features and harmful content.  

The agreement, announced Wednesday, could reach more than $17 billion nationwide, making it one of the largest state consumer protection settlements in U.S. history outside the Big Tobacco agreements of the 1990s. It remains subject to approval by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, where the case was filed.  

“This is a momentous day for Virginia,” Attorney General Jay Jones said in a Zoom call with reporters Wednesday morning, adding that the changes Meta would be required to make to its social media platforms could ultimately prove more significant than the money.  

“This is historic, this is a shift in how Meta and these companies are going to operate,” he said. 

[...] 

“We are really excited to put this money into efforts that are going to continue to help protect our kids,” Jones said, adding that he also sometimes struggles to navigate social media as a parent.   

[...] 

The Commonwealth could ultimately receive more than $500 million if other social media companies, including TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat, agree to specified settlement terms, Jones said.   

[...] 

“Democrats and Republicans came together to find a solution to a problem that harmed children across this country,” Jones said. “The size of the settlement is massive and represents a huge victory for kids’ online safety. But I want to be very clear, this is not the end of this effort.” 

Pittsburgh Post-Gazelle: Meta reaches $17 billion settlement with states in landmark trial over teen social media addiction 

Meta has agreed to pay $17 billion and add child-safety measures to its Facebook and Instagram platforms to end a landmark trial over teen social media addiction and settle claims filed by 47 states, state attorneys general announced Wednesday. 

[…] 

The agreement is worth $353 million in Virginia alone and is one of the biggest in state consumer protection history, Attorney General Jay Jones said in a statement. 

“For years, Meta intentionally deceived the public about the addictive and harmful design features that have wreaked havoc on youth mental health," Jones said. The settlement "will put an end to these dangerous practices and deliver meaningful relief that will protect children from online harm.” 

WUSA9: Meta to implement daily time limits for children, pay hundreds of millions to DC, Maryland, Virginia 

Meta, the owner of Instagram and Facebook, will pay D.C., Maryland, and Virginia hundreds of millions of dollars and make sweeping changes to its platforms to protect children as part of a massive, multi-billion dollar settlement. 

[…] 

Over the next 10 years, the company will have to pay at least $12.1 billion and up to $17.1 billion, depending on other pending lawsuits with other social media companies. D.C. will get between $90.3 million and $129.3 million, Maryland $327 million, Virginia will get at least $353 million, and West Virginia up to $114 million.   

"With this relief, Virginia will finally be able to put substantial resources behind initiatives to undo these harms, prevent future harms and change the face of how young people interact with social media for years to come by continuing to hold social media companies accountable,” Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones said.    

As a part of the settlement, Meta will have to put extensive safety measures in place to protect children. 

[…] 

Jones said this was a huge victory for teens and families. 

“We were going up against a juggernaut, one of the biggest tech companies on the planet, and we were able to hold them to account,” Jones said. 

FFXNow: Virginia awarded $353M from Meta settlement of teen social media addiction lawsuit 

Meta has agreed to pay $17 billion and add child-safety measures to its Facebook and Instagram platforms to end a landmark trial over teen social media addiction and settle claims filed by 47 states, state attorneys general announced today (Wednesday). 

The agreement guarantees $353 million for Virginia alone, making it one of the largest consumer protection settlements in state history outside of settlements with tobacco companies in the 1990s, Attorney General Jay Jones said in a statement. 

[…] 

Separately, the settlement will also give $11 million to Virginia to resolve claims against Meta for its “sharing of nonpublic information about Facebook users with third parties, like Cambridge Analytica, leading up to the 2016 election,” according to Jones’s office. 

“For years, Meta intentionally deceived the public about the addictive and harmful design features that have wreaked havoc on youth mental health,” Jones said. The settlement “will put an end to these dangerous practices and deliver meaningful relief that will protect children from online harm.” 

WFXR: Meta reaches $17B settlement over claims it harmed teen mental health   

Meta Platforms, Inc., the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and What’s App, reached a $17 billion dollar settlement to resolve claims it harmed the mental health of children. 

According to Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones, the Commonwealth will receive a guaranteed settlement of $353 million. 

“For years, Meta intentionally deceived the public about the addictive and harmful design features that have wreaked havoc on youth mental health. I am elated to announce a settlement agreement that will put an end to these dangerous practices and deliver meaningful relief that will protect children from online harm,” said Jones.  

Jones said the agreement is one of the largest consumer protection settlements in state history, outside of the landmark 1998 Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement. 

[…] 

“For the past five years, this office and its dedicated public servants have stood tall against one of the largest tech giants in the country and refused to back down in the face of costly and time-consuming investigations, legal battles, and sophisticated legal schemes to prevent accountability,” said Jones. “Today’s historic settlement proves that no matter how deep a company’s pockets, or how vast their legal armies, when major corporations and Big Tech companies put the safety of our children at risk to turn a profit, Virginia will bring them to justice.” 

WTVR Richmond: Virginia attorney general says $17B Meta settlement will keep children safe on Facebook and Instagram 

Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones says a $17 billion settlement with Meta represents a massive win for Virginians after five years of work to hold the social media giant accountable for exposing minors to potentially harmful content on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. 

The agreement, announced Wednesday, resolves claims by 47 states and U.S. territories that Meta knowingly designed its social media platforms with addictive features, exposed young users to serious mental harms, and intentionally misled the public about the safety of its platforms. 

Jones said the settlement will fundamentally change how Meta operates. 

CBS19: Meta deal brings social media restrictions for kids in Virginia 

A landmark settlement between Meta and 48 states, including Virginia, will bring new restrictions to how children use Facebook and Instagram. 

Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones called the agreement a major victory for the commonwealth, which will receive more than $353 million as part of the child-safety settlement. 

The agreement requires Meta to make sweeping changes to how children access and use its platforms. 

Children will face a combined two-hour daily limit across Facebook and Instagram, along with mandatory breaks after 15 minutes of continuous use. 

The settlement also includes nighttime access restrictions, fewer notifications during the school day, stronger age-verification measures and new limits on content involving bullying, eating disorders, suicide and self-harm. 

“What should be really, really encouraging for people, making sure that we have time restrictions for our kids, that there are content restrictions, that parents have more access to make sure they have some control over their kids and what they’re doing online,” Jones said. 

Jones said the investigation found Meta's platforms were contributing to harmful and addictive experiences for children. 

“We uncovered that Meta was intentionally putting products out that were getting children addicted, that were giving them content that they shouldn’t have had, and really putting them in places where they were being exposed to and were being taken advantage of,” Jones said. 

The agreement also restricts some features that can contribute to social comparison, including certain beauty filters and visible like counts. It also expands parental controls. 

“The terms of the injunctive relief really do give me hope that they will fundamentally change how their business is operating,” Jones said. 

Loudoun Times: Virginia to receive $353 million in landmark Meta child-safety settlement 

Virginia is set to receive at least $353 million from Meta Platforms Inc. under a major 

The agreement, announced Aug. 26, could reach more than $17 billion nationwide, making it one of the largest state consumer protection settlements in U.S. history outside the Big Tobacco agreements of the 1990s.

[…] 

“This is a momentous day for Virginia,” Attorney General Jay Jones said in a Zoom call with reporters Aug. 26, adding that the changes Meta would be required to make to its social media platforms could ultimately prove more significant than the money.  

“This is historic, this is a shift in how Meta and these companies are going to operate,” he said.  

Jones, a Democrat, said that Virginia plans to use the $353 million to pay for a range of initiatives, including “unplugged” programs and activities intended to combat the loneliness and social isolation associated with children’s online lives. The state also wants to support digital literacy programs that help parents better understand social media.  

“We are really excited to put this money into efforts that are going to continue to help protect our kids,” Jones said, adding that he also sometimes struggles to navigate social media as a parent.  

The Virginian Pilot: Virginia to get $353M from national settlement over teen social media addiction claims 

Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones said Wednesday that the state stands to get $353 million from a massive multistate settlement with the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. 

[…] 

“I know that as a parent, even I get sort of tripped up on social media, so I can only imagine how our children are engaging with this,” Jones said. 

Moreover, Jones said some of the $353 million would go toward “ongoing monitoring” of the settlement terms — to make sure Facebook and Instagram implement the changes they’ve promised. 

WRIC 8News: Meta agrees to settlement, making big changes to Instagram, Facebook for kids 

Meta is agreeing to make big changes to help protect kids on Facebook and Instagram as part of a settlement after claims brought by states across the country.   

Meta agreed to a settlement after 47 states, along with DC, and several U.S. territories claimed that Meta “designed Instagram with addictive features, knowingly exposed young users to serious mental harms, and intentionally misled the public about the safety of its platforms,” according to the Virginia Attorney General’s office. 

“We know that children have been impacted by social media, that these platforms were putting out addictive material, keeping these kids on these platforms, things that were taking them away from studying, things that were taking them away from enjoying their childhoods,” Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones told 8News.  

As part of the agreement, the Attorney General’s office said Meta is required to implement a combined daily two-hour time limit for children on Facebook and Instagram. 

[…] 

“This will do a much better job of getting our children off of these platforms, back to doing what they’re supposed to be doing, giving parents more control and making sure that we’re setting our kids up for success,” Jones said.  

[…] 

“This money is going back into communities. It’s gonna make sure that we are helping children get off of these addictive platforms, that we educate parents about what they can do to help protect their kids, and find ways to get our children active in other ways,” Jones explained.  

The Center Square: Child-safety measures, $353M from $17.1B Meta settlement coming to Virginia 

Child-safety measures for children and $353 million from a $17.1 billion settlement are coming to Virginia from Meta, owner of the Facebook and Instagram platforms. 

[…] 

“For years, Meta intentionally deceived the public about the addictive and harmful design features that have wreaked havoc on youth mental health,” first-term Democratic Attorney General Jay Jones said. 

The settlement is the one of the largest for consumer protection in state history. For Meta, the total amount is 8.5% of its $201 billion in 2025 revenue. 

[…] 

“Today’s historic settlement proves that no matter how deep a company’s pockets, or how vast their legal armies, when major corporations and Big Tech companies put the safety of our children at risk to turn a profit, Virginia will bring them to justice,” Jones said. “With this relief, Virginia will finally be able to put substantial resources behind initiatives to undo these harms, prevent future harms and change the face of how young people interact with social media for years to come by continuing to hold social media companies accountable.” 

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Meta reaches $17 billion settlement with states in landmark trial over teen social media addiction 

Meta has agreed to pay $17 billion and add child-safety measures to its Facebook and Instagram platforms to end a landmark trial over teen social media addiction and settle claims filed by 47 states, state attorneys general announced Wednesday. 

[…] 

The agreement is worth $353 million in Virginia alone and is one of the biggest in state consumer protection history, Attorney General Jay Jones said in a statement. 

“For years, Meta intentionally deceived the public about the addictive and harmful design features that have wreaked havoc on youth mental health," Jones said. The settlement "will put an end to these dangerous practices and deliver meaningful relief that will protect children from online harm.”