Three years ago, when DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb joined attorneys general across the country in taking legal action against Meta, DC Action applauded their willingness to take on one of the most powerful companies in the world on behalf of our children. Today, we applaud them again.
For years, young people in the District have told us directly about the challenges they face with their mental health and social and emotional well-being, including the pressures created and amplified by social media. This historic settlement confirms what young people, parents and advocates have been saying for far too long: corporations that build products used by children have a responsibility to put their safety and well-being ahead of profit.
The new safeguards Meta will be required to put in place are an important victory. But this settlement also creates an extraordinary opportunity here in the District. With the District receiving between $90 million and $129 million, we should make sure these resources go back to the young people who were harmed.
That means investing these dollars directly in the mental health and well-being of DC’s children and youth like expanding access to mental health supports, safe and enriching out-of-school time programs, recreation, and other opportunities for young people to connect with one another and thrive offline.
We are grateful to Attorney General Schwalb and his team, and to attorneys general across the country who stood together to hold Meta accountable. This settlement demonstrates what is possible when government acts collectively to protect children, and it should send a clear message to the entire technology industry: our children’s well-being is not a cost of doing business.
— Kimberly Perry, Executive Director, DC ActionÂ