Meta to Pay Puerto Rico $124.7 Million: The Changes Coming for Minors on Instagram and Facebook

The government of Puerto Rico will receive a guaranteed $124.7 million as part of the multistate settlement against Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, Justice Secretary Lourdes L. Gómez Torres announced Wednesday, August 26 ¹. The deal, which nationally requires the company to pay up to $18 billion to a coalition of 52 state and territorial attorneys general, also imposes concrete changes to how users under 18 experience these platforms: a two-hour daily limit, an overnight lockout by default, and the end of visible "likes" for teens ²³.

Puerto Rico's lawsuit is not new. The Department of Justice, through its Office of Monopolistic Affairs, sued Meta on December 19, 2024, in the San Juan Court of First Instance, arguing that the company designed Instagram and Facebook to generate addiction in minors and misled the public about the mental health harms its platforms cause young people ¹. That case is now resolved as part of the larger settlement, which arrived barely a week after the trial against the company began in an Oakland, California courtroom on August 18 ³. Meta did not admit wrongdoing, and the agreement still requires approval from the federal judge ³.

The numbers for the island are clear: $124.7 million guaranteed, payable in ten installments ¹. An additional $53.7 million could follow, but only if TikTok, YouTube and Snap adopt equivalent protections for minors ¹. At least half of the funds must go toward remedying the harm caused to Puerto Rican children and youth, in coordination with the Department of Health, the Mental Health and Anti-Addiction Services Administration (ASSMCA) and the Department of Education ¹. For context: Meta reported $60.458 billion in profits in 2025, and the attorneys general originally sought $200 billion ².

The platform changes include: a default two-hour daily limit for users under 18 that only parents can modify; a default lockout from midnight to 6:00 a.m.; zero notifications during school hours; mandatory breaks after 15 minutes of continuous use and prompts at 60 and 90 cumulative minutes; teens will not see the number of "likes" and will not be able to use beauty filters; a mechanism to report harmful content that Meta must answer within six hours; stricter age verification with detection of secondary accounts; and a chronological, non-algorithmic feed option with autoplay off ¹²³. An independent auditor will monitor compliance for five years ¹².

What it means for you

If you have kids or grandkids with a phone, this changes your household's digital routine. Instagram and Facebook will automatically limit minors' screen time, shut off overnight, and stop sending notifications while they are in school. The changes apply by default — you do not have to turn them on — but as a parent or guardian you will have control to adjust the two-hour limit ¹³. On top of that, part of the $124.7 million must become mental health and education programs for Puerto Rican youth, at a moment when the island's schools and mental health services operate with limited resources ¹.

How to do it / Checklist

1. Activate family supervision in Instagram and Facebook's Family Center so you can see and adjust time limits when they take effect.
2. Talk to your kids about the two-hour limit before it arrives, so the change does not catch them by surprise.
3. Verify that the age registered on your children's accounts is real: Meta will strengthen age verification and detect secondary accounts ¹.
4. Use the new reporting mechanism if your child receives harmful content; Meta will be required to respond within six hours ¹.
5. If your son or daughter shows signs of anxiety, depression or problematic social media use, call ASSMCA's PAS Line at 1-800-981-0023, free of charge and available 24/7.
6. Watch for announcements from Health, ASSMCA and Education about the new programs these funds will finance ¹.

What's next

The federal judge in Oakland must approve the settlement before the money starts flowing, and payments to Puerto Rico will arrive in ten installments ¹³. The independent auditor will watch Meta for five years to ensure the protection tools stay active ¹². An additional $53.7 million also remains on the table if TikTok, YouTube and Snap accept equivalent rules — pressure the attorneys general have already signaled they intend to apply ¹⁴. On the island, the next step will be seeing how Justice, Health, ASSMCA and Education structure the programs: the agreement requires that at least 50% of the money go directly to remedying harm to Puerto Rican youth ¹.

Sources

1. Puerto Rico Department of Justice (via Foro Noticioso) — Settlement with Meta guarantees $124.7 million
2. Sin Comillas — Meta settlement will benefit 47 states and jurisdictions, including Puerto Rico
3. CNN Business — Meta settles landmark state child harm claims for $18 billion
4. TechCrunch — Meta settles for $18 billion in lawsuit brought by 29 states