Puerto Rico’s Department of Justice joined a multistate settlement with Meta Platforms, Inc., owner of Instagram and Facebook, that guarantees the island $124.7 million to fund programs addressing harm to Puerto Rican children and youth from excessive social media use, payable in ten installments. Justice Secretary Lourdes Gómez Torres announced the deal, noting an additional $53.7 million could become available if TikTok, YouTube, and Snap adopt equivalent child-protection measures.
The announcement followed news that Meta agreed to pay roughly $17 billion nationally across states and territories and implement safety measures for minors on Facebook and Instagram to resolve a landmark lawsuit over teen social media addiction. Puerto Rico was included after its Justice Department’s Office of Monopolistic Affairs sued Meta on December 19, 2024, in the San Juan Superior Court, alleging Meta designed Instagram and Facebook to be addictive to minors and misled the public about mental health harms to youth.
Gómez Torres said she would coordinate with the Department of Health, ASSMCA, and the Department of Education on using the funds, though specific uses have not yet been determined. The agreement also requires Meta to make immediate design changes affecting minors’ experience on its platforms.