Paxton Secures Historic Settlement

Parents have watched as Big Tech companies have gained unprecedented access to their children. Social media platforms have become deeply embedded in the lives of young Texans, while concerns continue to grow about addiction, excessive screen time, harmful content, and the effects these platforms have on children.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has secured a historic settlement with Meta worth more than $1 billion for the state of Texas, along with significant new protections for children and teenagers using Facebook and Instagram. Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, will implement new safeguards for minors under the settlement agreement. These safeguards include age-assurance measures and significant restrictions on how teenagers use its platforms. Teen accounts will receive a default two-hour daily usage limit, notifications will be restricted during school hours, and nighttime protections will limit access during overnight hours. Other changes include hiding likes and reactions by default and giving parents and teenagers additional tools to control personalized feeds and autoplay.

And importantly, this settlement demonstrates what happens when government officials are willing to confront powerful corporations rather than simply accepting their influence.

This settlement is another example of Texas refusing to sit quietly while Big Tech crosses the line. The state has increasingly taken action to protect children online, and Attorney General

Paxton has made holding powerful technology companies accountable a major priority.

The financial settlement is certainly significant, but the safeguards for children are even more important. Texas is demonstrating that corporations cannot simply write their own rules when the well-being of children is at stake.

We believe every child deserves the opportunity to grow up in a safe environment surrounded by parents who have the freedom and authority to raise them according to their values. That means protecting children in schools. It means protecting children from sexually explicit material. It means defending parental rights.

The Meta settlement is a significant victory, but it should not be the end of the fight. Facebook and Instagram are not the only platforms parents have to worry about. YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, and other platforms must also be held accountable when their business practices put children at risk.

Our children are worth protecting. Our parents are worth empowering. And Big Tech should be held accountable.