Part of the money coming to Iowa from a legal settlement with Meta, the company that owns Facebook and Instagram, will be used to prosecute crimes related to social media and to pay victims who’ve suffered mental issues linked to their use of social media. Meta will pay the state about 125 MILLION dollars over the next decade to settle lawsuits claims its platforms harmed kids. Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird is designating 25 MILLION dollars of that as restitution for teenage victims, who could each receive up to 100 dollars.
Bird says she’ll announce the details for making claims later. She’s setting up a 10 MILLION dollar fund to provide grants to schools to address the negative impacts of social media and to start resource officer programs. Shelby County Deputy Sheriff R-J Bielenberg (BEE-len-berg) is a school resource officer in Harlan. He says S-R-Os can help address online harassment and bullying, which can help prevent threats in schools.
The State of Iowa sued Meta in April and is now one of 47 states included in the national settlement. Bird says she’ll use three-million dollars of Iowa’s share of the settlement to upgrade technology in her office.
