North Carolina received $45.2 million from Meta on Thursday, Oct. 1, the first installment of a settlement that could bring up to $645 million to the state over the next decade.
Attorney General Jeff Jackson announced the payment and urged the General Assembly to direct the money toward after-school programs, crisis helplines for children and school health staff. Jackson specifically called for hiring more counselors, social workers and nurses in the state's school systems, according to NC Newsline.
"Children were the ones harmed by Meta's actions, and this money should be used to help them," Jackson said in a statement from his office.
The settlement, which the state Department of Justice called the largest big tech settlement in history, resolved a lawsuit North Carolina and 32 other states filed against Meta in October 2023. The states alleged Meta designed Instagram and Facebook to addict children, increase the time they spent on the platforms and downplay the risks, violating consumer protection laws and the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.
A judge approved the deal in August 2026. North Carolina is guaranteed at least $451 million. An additional $194 million could follow if YouTube and TikTok adopt matching safety measures, according to NC Newsline. The remaining payments arrive in nine annual installments every Jan. 15 through 2035, starting in January 2027.
The staffing gaps Jackson cited are steep. North Carolina schools average one psychologist for every 1,928 students, nearly four times the recommended ratio of 500 to one, according to a March 2026 NC Child report cited by EdNC. School social workers serve an average of 995 students each, against a recommended 250. A 2025 state report found 60% of North Carolina school districts either did not or only partly addressed their health-staffing shortages during the 2024-25 school year, EdNC reported.
The General Assembly controls the money. No legislation directing settlement funds had been introduced as of Oct. 1.
Meta also agreed to platform changes for teen users. Default daily time limits cap account access at two hours. A "Night Mode" blocks app feeds from midnight to 6 a.m., and notifications are silenced from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. During school hours, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays, non-messenger notifications are turned off by default. Public like counts and cosmetic-surgery filters are removed for teens. The changes must remain in place for 10 years, according to Meta's announcement.
Teens are expected to see the changes within a few months, according to the attorney general's office.
