Blumenthal & Blackburn Statement on Historic Nearly $17 Billion Meta Settlement in Case About Social Media Harms to Kids

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), authors of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), released the following statement in response to a nearly $17 billion settlement reached between Meta and a coalition of bipartisan state Attorneys General:

"This massive settlement shows how terrified Meta and Mark Zuckerberg are of accountability in open court. We applaud the bipartisan coalition of state Attorneys General for forcing Meta to start paying a real price for the harm its products have caused an entire generation of young people. The product design changes imposed under this settlement are a first step toward giving kids and parents the tools they need to take back control of their online lives, but they can be strengthened. Meta notes that these terms are only required to stay in place for 10 years-we must ensure permanent change. We also need safeguards that apply across the board-to all social media companies-not just Instagram and Facebook. This settlement once again demands that Congress pass the Kids Online Safety Act into law before the end of the year."

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1. KOSA