WASHINGTON, D.C., August 26, 2026 – Meta will pay up to $18 billion to settle claims in a majority of U.S. states that the tech giant’s social media platforms harmed children. WhistleblowerAid.org client and former Meta researcher Dr. Jason Sattizahn released the following statement in the wake of the settlement announcement:
“After repeated losses and nine-figure jury awards in just the first landmark jury trials, it’s clear that nothing short of public defeat and court-ordered platform changes will force Meta to do right by users.
Today’s multi-state settlement is the result of persistence, perseverance and the power of truth, and it shows that change happens through community, through the steadfast commitment of parents, researchers, non-profits, legal advocates and whistleblowers who expose the relentless greed and complete disregard Meta has for basic user safety. And Meta only came to the table when their decades long campaign to protect themselves fell apart on the stand.
Today’s settlement goes beyond Meta paying billions. Meta is finally being forced to make design changes for child safety — the same design changes readily available and consistently rejected by Meta leadership.
Of course, given Meta’s track record of offering limited, faulty solutions to complex problems, the public should ask, ‘How effective will these design changes be? And how can we trust anything coming from Meta’s leadership?’
It’ll take our ongoing vigilance together to hold Meta...
SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — A woman was charged with healthcare fraud after she allegedly submitted false claims to Utah Medicaid and received more than $4 million in a payout. From July 2024 through ...