New Hampshire to Collect Up to $224 Million in Meta Deal

Meta also agreed to new safety steps as part of the settlement, including daily time limits and stronger parental controls.

New Hampshire is positioned to receive as much as $224 million from Meta under a nationwide settlement that resolves claims brought by states over the way Facebook and Instagram were designed and used by young people. The agreement, announced Tuesday by attorneys general around the country including New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella, ends a case that had been headed toward trial.

The payout will be made in 10 equal installments, according to Formella, and court filings say the money is meant to support consumer protection enforcement and consumer education. He said in a Wednesday news conference that the settlement is the result of hard-fought litigation, not generosity from the company.

Gov. Kelly Ayotte said the agreement is an important move toward holding social media companies accountable and giving parents better tools to protect children online and support their mental health. She said safeguarding young people must remain the priority.

Meta also agreed to new safety steps as part of the settlement, including daily time limits and stronger parental controls. The company has six months to put those changes in place.

The state and other plaintiffs argued in the 2023 lawsuit that Meta’s platforms were built in ways that damaged young users’ mental health and that the company collected information from children under 13. The legal challenge grew as additional states joined after the original filing.

Meta had sought to have New Hampshire’s case thrown out, but a judge rejected that effort. The settlement now prevents a trial that would have included testimony from CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Meta continues to deny the allegations.

Formella said about 70% of New Hampshire’s share, or roughly $158 million, is guaranteed. The remaining amount depends on whether Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube also end up subject to certain injunctive and monetary terms.

New Hampshire has also brought a separate case against TikTok in 2024, and that trial is expected in the fall.