Greetings!

Fund IRL exists to answer one question: If lawsuits over social media’s harms to young people result in billions of dollars for states, how will young people benefit?

For a long time, that question felt hypothetical. Now it feels real and urgent. In just the past two weeks, New Mexico ordered Meta to pay $567 million for youth mental health, a federal appeals court cleared the way for more than 3,000 lawsuits to proceed, and the first major multistate trial got underway in Oakland.

These lawsuits exist to force social media companies to change the platforms and practices harming young people, and that should remain the primary goal. But as cases move forward, it’s increasingly clear that significant public resources could come with that accountability, and we need to ensure those dollars are dedicated to young people rather than absorbed into general state budgets. Right now, our goals are to make sure (1) Fund IRL priorities are reflected in any national settlements or payouts, and (2) states are prepared to protect funds for young people the moment settlement or judgment dollars start to flow.

We’re proud that Fund IRL brings together a wide range of partners and perspectives around a shared commitment to young people (welcome to this summer’s new national coalition members: Mothers Against Media Addiction, Girls on the Run, HopeLab, Only 7 Seconds, SCORES Network, and Creating Abundance Collaborative!). That diversity is reflected in our new Guidance on the Use of Funds from Social Media Litigation, which offers a collective vision for how these resources can both address the harms young people are experiencing online and invest in the opportunities and supports they deserve offline.

See the latest litigation and coalition updates below.

Resource: Fund IRL Guidance on Use of Funds from Social Media Litigation

After months of collaboration across the coalition—and input from coalition members, researchers, and more than 100 young people—we’re excited to share the Fund IRL Guidance on the Use of Funds from Social Media Litigation. The target audience for the guidance is Attorneys General and legislators who may ultimately decide how funds from litigation are used. It lays out principles for investing potential resources in ways that address the harms young people are experiencing and expand the community-based opportunities that prevent harm and promote well-being. We hope the guidance is also a helpful tool for coalition members to start conversations in their states, bring in new partners, engage young people, and prepare decision-makers before settlement or judgment dollars are on the table. In the hopes of seeing IRL priorities built into any potential national settlements, we’ve begun sharing the guidance with key Attorneys General across the country.

Litigation Updates

One State, One Company, $942 million: This month, a New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay $567 million into a youth mental health abatement fund and implement safety changes, finding the company created a "public nuisance" by designing Facebook and Instagram to be addictive and by failing to protect children from sexual exploitation on its platforms. The court ruling allocates the funds into specific buckets ($420 million for treatment, plus smaller allocations for prevention and awareness, screening and assessment, and referrals and care coordination) and follows a March jury verdict ordering Meta to pay $375 million in civil penalties for violating consumer protection law. Although these rulings don’t directly impact the dozens of state cases to follow, NM Attorney General Raúl Torrez called the verdicts "a blueprint" for other states weighing similar claims.

29 States Take Meta to Trial in Landmark Federal Case: A major federal trial against Meta is now underway in Oakland, bringing together two sets of claims from 29 states. California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey are pursuing state consumer-protection claims alleging that Meta deliberately designed Facebook and Instagram to keep young people engaged and addicted, while misleading the public about the platforms’ safety. Those four states are seeking up to $1.4 trillion in civil penalties. Separately, 25 additional states have joined claims under the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), alleging that Meta illegally collected and used personal information from children under 13. The seven-week trial is significant because it puts both the states’ youth-harm and children’s privacy claims against Meta before the same federal court, and the outcome could shape how similar state cases proceed.

Tennessee trial against Meta continues in Nashville: Meta is also midway through a roughly seven-week trial brought by Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti. Tennessee alleges that Meta concealed internal research on Instagram’s harms to teens and continued to deploy features it knew could be dangerous. The state is seeking financial penalties as well as a court order requiring changes to Meta’s platforms.

ICYMI: Webinar – "What Comes Next: Organizing for Youth Investment in the Social Media Litigation Landscape"

If you missed our recent webinar, “What Comes Next: Organizing for Youth Investment in the Social Media Litigation Landscape,” the recording is now available. Youth leaders Olivia Howard, Lukas Druckenmiller, and Daniella Ivanir of #HalfTheStory opened with a powerful conversation about why real-life connection matters to young people. Eleanor Blume of the California Department of Justice then shared an insider's perspective on what advocates should be watching in the litigation landscape and how states can prepare for the opportunities ahead.

Watch the Video

Fund IRL in the News

Child Advocate Envisions Game Changing Windfall from Social Media Settlements

Social Media Lawsuits Could Net Payouts. How are Districts Planning?

Take Action:

Get ready in your state!

Interested in Fund IRL advocacy opportunities? Find and contact your state coordinator through the state network directory. If your state doesn’t yet have a state coordinator, contact hello@fundirl.org.

Save the Date – Join us in Oakland, CA

While the Meta trial unfolds downtown, we're celebrating what the solution looks like at Offline Oakland — A Community Linkup IRL on September 13th, just across town from the courthouse. Come experience real-life youth connection in action, hosted by local organizations Youth Allie@childrensfundingproject.orgSpeaks, Safe Passages, and the Oakland Youth Development Collaborative Roundtable. If you’re in the area and want to get involved, email rebecca@fundirl.org.

Show us IRL in action

Hosting an event that celebrates the power of IRL connection in your community? We want to hear and uplift on our website/channels! Send a few details and any photos or video footage to hello@fundirl.org.

Turn social media accountability into opportunity. Fund youth well-being.

Fund IRL is an initiative of Children’s Funding Project