Landmark Meta Settlement Could Deliver Nearly $768 Million to Illinois and New Protections for Children
A landmark multistate settlement could require Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, to pay up to $17.1 billion over the next 10 years to resolve allegations that its Facebook and Instagram platforms used addictive features and harmed children, while also forcing the social media giant to implement significant new protections for young users.
Under the proposed agreement, Illinois could receive nearly $768 million over the 10-year settlement period.
The terms of the settlement state that Illinois’ share is supposed to be used for remedial or restitutive purposes connected to the harms alleged in the lawsuit, and not meant to be absorbed into general revenue spending.
The agreement would require Meta to implement stronger age-assurance measures designed to identify whether users are teenagers or children under 13. Meta would also be required to use technology to identify and remove underage accounts and provide easier ways for users to report accounts believed to belong to children under 13.
Teen users would also receive stronger protections by default. Those safeguards include limits on overnight platform access, daily usage limits, reduced notifications during school hours, prompts encouraging teens to take breaks, stronger privacy and content settings, and additional protections intended to reduce potentially harmful interactions.
Parents would receive additional tools to supervise their children’s accounts, including greater control over time and content restrictions and increased information about their teens’ use of Meta’s platforms.
State Senator Syverson says the settlement reinforces concerns that parents and advocates have raised for years about social media companies placing engagement and profits ahead of children’s well-being.
Pritzker Administration Continues Pattern of Pulling State Resources from Downstate Illinois
Downstate Illinois is once again losing state facilities, jobs, and resources under Governor Pritzker as his Administration continues a troubling pattern of closing or relocating state operations away from communities outside the Chicago region.
The Pritzker Administration previously announced plans to close Logan Correctional Center in Lincoln and build its replacement in Crest Hill, moving the facility from Central Illinois to the Chicago region. That decision was followed by major downsizing and massive layoffs at Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center in Southern Illinois.
Senate Republicans say the repeated decisions are becoming impossible to dismiss as unrelated events. Every closure means more than losing a building. State facilities provide jobs that support families, boost local economies, and serve as important anchors for communities throughout Downstate Illinois.
The latest decision also raises questions about the future of rehabilitation programs offered through the facilities and the Pritzker Administration’s so-called restorative justice priorities. Impact programs and work camps are intended to provide structure, programming, work experience, and opportunities that can help individuals successfully reenter society.
State Senator Syverson said moving state jobs from around the state to Chicago is not going to solve Chicago’s economic problems but it will create economic problems for smaller downstate communities losing both services and jobs that go with it.
Legislation Signed into Law Makes it Easier to Get Prescriptions Filled
Illinois patients who arrive at a pharmacy only to find their medication is out of stock will now have an easier time getting their prescriptions filled under newly signed legislation.
Senate Bill 3213 expands the types of prescriptions that can be electronically transferred from one pharmacy to another. Previously, Illinois law placed greater restrictions on prescription transfers than federal law, which could leave patients unable to quickly move a prescription when a pharmacy did not have the medication available.
The new law brings Illinois requirements more closely in line with federal standards, making it easier for patients to transfer prescriptions when needed. It also makes it easier for medical professionals to issue prescriptions after hours.
Registering to Vote
With the general election just around the corner, now is the time for Illinois residents to learn more about the voting process and how to register. Whether you’re a first-time voter or need to update your information, voting is a way to make your voice heard in government.
Voter requirements in Illinois include:
- Being a U.S. citizen
- Living in your election precinct for at least 30 days prior to Election Day
- Being at least 18 years old by the date of the general election
- You must not be serving a sentence of confinement in any penal institution as a result of a conviction.
- You may not claim the right to vote anywhere else.
Voters can register online, in person at the office of the election authority, at a DMV, via mail, or with appointed jurisdiction registrars. Online registration does close at the end of the day on October 18.
For those who need to check their registration status or want to register to vote, visit the Illinois Online Voter Registration Application Website.