Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Wednesday that his office has secured a proposed settlement worth more than $1 billion with Meta Platforms Inc. that would require the company to adopt new safety features for children using its social media platforms.
Paxton said the agreement would direct more than $1 billion to the State of Texas for youth mental health services, crisis resources, digital literacy programs, after-school initiatives and grants for Texas schools. The settlement would also impose new platform requirements involving age assurance, teen screen-time limits, school-hour notifications, public reactions, and nighttime access.
“This is a historic settlement and a major win for the safety of Texas children,” Paxton said in a statement. “Not only will Meta pay over $1 billion to Texas, but the company will also implement significant new safety features to better protect children’s precious minds and well-being on its platforms.”
Under the announced terms, Meta would be required to use stricter age-assurance measures and impose a default two-hour daily limit for teen users. Teens could turn off the limit only with a parent’s permission.
Push notifications would be muted by default during school hours from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., except for direct messages and account-security or safety alerts. Likes and reactions would also be hidden by default, a feature the attorney general’s office said is intended to reduce social comparison among young users.
The company would additionally create a nighttime-access setting designed to limit notifications and certain other features for children between midnight and 6 a.m. Meta would continue to restrict age-inappropriate content and provide parental-supervision tools, according to Paxton’s office.
The announcement comes as Meta faces ongoing scrutiny and litigation from states alleging that its Facebook and Instagram platforms harmed children by encouraging compulsive use. Meta has denied claims that it knowingly designed its platforms to addict young users.
Texas’ agreement is part of a broader multistate settlement with Meta reached during a federal child-safety trial in California.
Paxton characterized the Meta agreement as his third settlement of more than $1 billion involving a major technology company.
In 2024, Texas reached a $1.4 billion settlement with Meta in a case alleging the company captured and used Texans’ facial-recognition data without authorization. The agreement resolved claims involving Meta’s collection and use of biometric identifiers in Texas.
Paxton also previously announced a $1.375 billion settlement with Google over allegations involving Texans’ privacy rights. He is scheduled to take Texas’ case against TikTok to trial in fall 2026, according to the attorney general’s office.
Additionally, lawsuits against TikTok and Roblox over similar concerns are ongoing.
“This settlement is a major step forward in the fight to ensure our kids are protected online,” Paxton said.
