Nevada is slated to receive as much as $255.9 million under a $19 billion multistate settlement with Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, that also requires changes to the social networks aimed at protecting children. 

This story was researched, written and used with permission by This Is Reno, an independently-owned new organization covering the larger Washoe County region. Learn more about this and other stories at ThisIsReno.com.

Attorney General Aaron Ford announced the settlement on Wednesday, Aug. 24 amid a wave of similar announcements in the 47 other states and territories that joined the lawsuit. The agreement resolves claims brought in the case that accused Meta of designing Instagram with addictive features, exposing young users to mental health harms and misleading the public about the safety of its platforms.

Whistleblowers have alleged Meta has ignored concerns about child safety and covered up research that found its platforms cause harm to children.

The BBC reported in September 2025 that whistleblowers alleged the company manipulated and covered up research about the harms of Meta’s virtual reality platforms. Reporting from Reuters revealed that a 2020 research project on the mental health harms of Facebook was buried by the company after researchers found stopping use of the social network for even a week reduced feelings of depression and anxiety.

Although the company settled the lawsuit, Meta officials disputed the allegations leading up to and during the trial. They said documents and other evidence presented during the trial were cherry-picked and taken out of context, claims they have repeated several times.

Meta, in March 2026 was found liable by a New Mexico jury for misleading consumers about safety features on its social networks, and for potentially exposing children to explicit content and sexual predators. The company was ordered to pay a $375 million civil fine, and months later was ordered to pay another $567 million for youth treatment services in the state.

Nevada is guaranteed $178.1 million under the settlement, payable over 10 years, according to Ford’s office. The state’s total payment could reach about $255.9 million, less than the estimated $400 million value of Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg’s super yacht and accompanying naval fleet.

“This settlement is a historic win for the safety and protection of our state’s youth and will hopefully be the first step toward a future in which social media companies do not treat our children as disposable products,” Ford said in a statement.

Ford said settlement money received by Nevada would be used for efforts to educate and protect children, but he didn’t specify whether the funds would be used for education in schools or prevention programs.

Under the agreement, Instagram and Facebook will have a combined two-hour daily time limit for children, along with mandatory “Productive Pauses” after 15 minutes of continuous use and again after 60 and 90 minutes. Those restrictions will remain in place for five years.

If Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube adopt comparable restrictions, the daily limit would fall to 60 minutes on each platform for 10 years, according to Ford’s office.

The settlement also requires Meta to restrict children’s access to its platforms from midnight to 6 a.m. and eliminate push notifications on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. during the school year.

Other provisions include age-verification, expanded parental controls and additional restrictions on content involving bullying, eating disorders, suicide and self-harm. Meta must also limit social-comparison features such as beauty filters and visible like counts for young users.

An independent auditor and the states participating in the settlement will regularly assess the implementation and effectiveness of the changes.

Ford’s office also has lawsuits pending against SnapChat, TikTok, YouTube, Discord and Kik. 

Those cases accuse the companies of using harmful design features, failing to implement safety measures for children and misleading the public about the safety of young users.

In April, Ford announced an agreement with Roblox requiring changes intended to improve child safety on the gaming platform.

The Meta settlement follows a nationwide investigation that began in 2021 into social media platforms’ design and marketing to children and teenagers. According to Ford’s office, the investigation found Meta designed Instagram features to encourage repeated use by children while internally documenting potential mental health harms.

The agreement resolves lawsuits and other claims brought by the participating states and territories. It also resolves claims involving Meta’s sharing of nonpublic Facebook user information with third parties, including Cambridge Analytica, before the 2016 election.

This story was researched, written and used with permission by This Is Reno, an independently-owned new organization covering the larger Washoe County region. Learn more about this and other stories at ThisIsReno.com.