Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton secured over $1 billion as part of a settlement with Meta Platforms to protect children on its social media platforms. The settlement, subject to court approval, requires Meta to implement new safeguards alongside the payment.
Meta will pay over $1 billion to Texas, with funds directed toward remediation efforts including youth mental health services, crisis resources, digital literacy initiatives, after-school programs, and school grants.
The company agreed to implement stricter age-assurance measures and a daily two-hour limit for teen users, decreasing to one hour if other social media platforms adopt similar terms. Notifications are disabled by default during school hours from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. unless a parent changes the setting. Meta will hide likes and reactions on posts by default to limit social comparison and roll out a nighttime access mode that by default restricts notifications and features during certain hours.
This is Paxton's third settlement worth over $1 billion from a major technology company. He previously secured a $1.4 billion settlement with Meta for unlawfully collecting and using facial recognition data and a $1.375 billion settlement with Google for violating Texans' privacy rights. Paxton is scheduled to go to trial against TikTok in fall 2026 as part of ongoing efforts to protect children online.