Connecticut and New York are part of the $17 billion multi-state settlement with Meta that calls for child safety reforms on Facebook and Instagram.
“I have become a big advocate who is very much into educating anyone in the life of a child about these harms because they are hidden and people really need to know what’s going on,” said Tammy Rodriguez of Enfield, Connecticut, at a media briefing at Connecticut Attorney General William Tong’s office on Wednesday.
She lost her 11-year-old daughter Selena to suicide in 2021 due to an Instagram social media addiction.
Tong said that’s why Connecticut joined the lawsuit.
Meta knowingly designed Facebook and Instagram with addictive features that exposed young users to serious mental health harms and intentionally misled the public.
“Meta has essentially surrendered at trial. They know it’s going poorly. They know we have them dead to rights. And that’s why Meta is going to pay the states $17.1 billion over 10 years,” Tong said.
Connecticut will receive about $256 million, while New York will get at least $819 million. The money would be used to support mental health and crisis intervention.
The agreement is pending court approval.
