Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird on Monday announced how her office will distribute the recent $126 million settlement from Meta, with half the money required to be directed to address harms to people.
Iowa will create a $25 million restitution fund for teens who were harmed by having accounts on Facebook or Instagram.
Bird estimates the fund could pay around $100 to each impacted person. Bird’s office will announce eligibility and how Iowans can make a claim at a later date.
Bird said the Meta settlement is a victory for Iowa families, adding that children will be safer, as she vows to prosecute online predators.
Iowa is the first state that was part of the Meta settlement to announce a restitution fund for Facebook and Instagram users. The settlement comes after Bird sued Meta in April 2026.
In other aspects, $11 million will go to the “Iowa Kids and Consumers Defense Fund, and $10 million will go Iowa schools and other organizations to address harms related to social media,
Another combined $20 million will be directed to the “Iowa Digital Rescue and Prosecution Fund, the “Digital Safety and Technology Fund,” and the “Ensuring Child Safety Online Fund.”
The remainder of the settlement will cover legal fees and approximately $49 million will be sent to the general fund of the state.
