Nebraska could receive more than $206 million from two nationwide settlements with Meta that would also impose new restrictions on children’s use of Instagram and Facebook.
Attorney General Mike Hilgers announced Wednesday that Nebraska joined most other states and several U.S. territories in settling claims that Meta deliberately designed its platforms to keep children engaged, failed to warn parents about potential mental-health harms and improperly collected children’s personal information. The agreement still requires approval from a federal judge, and Meta denies wrongdoing. “This is an incredible day for Nebraska parents, Nebraska kids and the entire state,” Hilgers said during a news conference in Lincoln.
Nebraska is eligible to receive up to $201,092,032 from the child-safety settlement and another $5,146,813 from a separate settlement involving Meta’s sharing of Facebook user information with third parties, including Cambridge Analytica, before the 2016 election. That puts Nebraska’s maximum combined recovery at about $206.2 million.
Hilgers said Nebraska is guaranteed about $145 million, including approximately $140 million from the child-safety settlement and the full $5.1 million from the Cambridge Analytica settlement. He said the amount could increase if other major social-media platforms agree to comparable restrictions. “The largest single-defendant settlement in the history of the state of Nebraska,” Hilgers said. “Under this settlement, Nebraska will receive up to $201 million.” Hilgers expects Nebraska to receive about $19 million during the remainder of 2026 and another $14 million in January 2027. The rest would be paid over the balance of the 10-year agreement.
The money will be deposited into Nebraska’s Consumer Protection Cash Fund and will be subject to legislative appropriation. Hilgers said the money is not legally restricted to programs addressing social-media harms, although he wants state officials to discuss using some of the proceeds for that purpose. Nebraska’s consumer-protection staff handled the case without outside attorneys, meaning none of the state’s recovery will go toward outside legal fees.
New Restrictions For Young Users
The settlement would require default restrictions for Instagram and Facebook users age 17 and younger, although parents would be able to approve exceptions. The requirements include a combined two-hour daily limit on Instagram and Facebook, mandatory “productive pauses” after periods of use and an overnight block preventing access from midnight to 6 a.m. Push notifications would also be restricted during school hours.
Meta would be required to strengthen its age-assurance procedures, give young users an option to turn off personalized recommendation feeds and provide additional protections against bullying and content promoting eating disorders, suicide or self-harm. The agreement also calls for restrictions on beauty filters, visible “like” counts and other features that can contribute to social comparison, along with expanded parental controls. Independent audits would assess whether the restrictions are being implemented and whether they are effective.
If TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat agree to comparable provisions, the settlement would impose stronger restrictions, including 60-minute limits on individual platforms and an expanded overnight block from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. A portion of Meta’s financial obligation is also dependent on other platforms adopting the framework and making comparable payments. Meta Chief Legal Officer C.J. Mahoney said an industry-wide approach is needed because teenagers move between multiple applications.
Nebraska’s Case Against Meta
Nebraska joined the original lawsuit against Meta in October 2023. States alleged that Instagram and Facebook used addictive product features while Meta internally documented risks to children’s mental health and publicly minimized those risks. Hilgers said Nebraska was involved in the investigation and negotiations from the beginning. The investigation began during former Attorney General Doug Peterson’s administration, and Nebraska later served on the settlement negotiating committee.
The settlement does not end Nebraska’s other litigation involving online platforms. The state’s lawsuit against TikTok is scheduled for trial in April 2027, and Nebraska has also sued the online-gaming platform Roblox.