Fund IRL Statement on the Meta Lawsuit Settlement
August 2026
Today’s landmark Meta settlement is a significant step toward holding social media companies accountable for the impact their platforms have had on young people. The settlement establishes an important principle: when companies are held accountable for harms affecting young people, a meaningful share of the resources recovered should be used to help young people heal, reconnect and thrive.
Now that principle must become practice.
The settlement agreement explicitly names mental-health/crisis intervention, afterschool and summer programming, and digital well-being as eligible uses of state funds to remediate youth harms. This was not guaranteed, and it is a win that the broad coalition has been pushing for. However, the work is not done.
As states determine how settlement dollars intended to remediate youth harms will be invested within the terms of the settlement, Fund IRL urges leaders to put young people at the center of those decisions and dedicate all of the resources to the real-life experiences and supports that strengthen youth well-being, including afterschool and summer programs, sports, arts, mentoring, outdoor activities, mental health supports and community-based youth development.
Platform safeguards are essential, but protecting young people online is only half of the equation. We must also dramatically expand what is available to youth offline.
The settlement should be viewed as a starting point, not an endpoint. The financial recovery is not sufficient to mitigate the scale of the harm social media has caused, nor does it eliminate the need for continued accountability across the technology industry.
Fund IRL and its coalition partners will continue to work to ensure that every available dollar intended to repair harm to young people is tracked, and that state leaders hear directly from young people and the organizations serving them as decisions about those resources are made.
The next phase of accountability must be about more than what we take away from harmful online experiences. It must be about what we give young people in their place.
It’s time to fund real life.
Ways to Activate
How you can activate to support impact and quick wins:
Join Fund IRL: Review the Fund IRL member guidelines and Fund IRL guiding principles.
- For National Organizations, Reach out to hello@fundirl.org to join Fund IRL.
- For States + Communities, If you are a state or local organization, find and reach out to your state coordinator.
Amplify alongside State Coordinators: In partnership with your state coordinator, connect with your state AGs and leaders: Ask where the settlement money is going.
Bring young people + lived experience into the conversation: Share stories, perspectives, photos, videos, and ideas. If your organization already helps young people speak with policymakers or advocate for change, put those channels to work. Share Your Story + Use This Customizable Graphic.
Help spread the word: Talk about this moment with your network. Share a post, write a newsletter, contact local media, speak with community leaders, or start a conversation with other parents and advocates. Use These Pre-Drafted Messages + Shareable Graphics.
Mobilize with Fund IRL: Bring others in – keep speaking up! Make noise on your social media and in your community. Tag #FundIRL and follow Fund IRL on LinkedIn.
Raise Your Voice
>> NEW! 5 Principles for Use of Funds from Social Media Lawsuits Graphics and Materials
>> Use the Meta Settlement Promotional Toolkit
Sample Post:
Social media settlement funds create an opportunity to invest directly in youth well-being. These resources can strengthen mental health supports, youth programs, and real-life opportunities that help young people connect, belong, and thrive.
Join Fund IRL to ensure the social media settlement funds are used to help expand the things families want more young people to have access to: trusted adults, mental health support, afterschool and summer programs, mentoring, sports, arts, outdoor experiences and places to belong.
Help make sure young people feel the impact. Learn more: FUNDIRL.org.
