CONCORD, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) New Hampshire is in line for what state officials describe as the largest social media settlement in the state’s history, with Meta Platforms agreeing to pay the state up to $224.3 million as part of a $17.1 billion agreement involving nearly every state in the country.

The settlement, announced Wednesday by Gov. Kelly Ayotte and Attorney General John Formella, resolves allegations that Meta deliberately designed Instagram and Facebook to encourage excessive and compulsive use among young people and failed to adequately warn parents about potential mental health risks.

New Hampshire’s share would be paid in 10 equal installments. About 70 percent, or roughly $158 million, is guaranteed under the agreement. The remainder would depend on whether other major social media companies become subject to certain financial and safety requirements outlined in the settlement.

The agreement covers claims brought by 47 other states as well as the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

If approved by the court, Meta would also be required to make substantial changes to how children use Instagram and Facebook.

Among the most significant provisions would be default limits on how long children can use the platforms. Instagram and Facebook together would have a two-hour daily limit, with interruptions after 15 minutes of continuous use and again at 60 and 90 minutes. Those requirements would remain in place for five years.

The settlement provides for even stricter limits if Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube agree to comparable terms. In that case, the daily limit on each platform would fall to one hour and remain in effect for 10 years.

Other changes would include overnight restrictions preventing children from accessing the platforms between midnight and 6 a.m., as well as limited access during school hours. Push notifications for children would be disabled on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. during the school year.

Meta also would have to strengthen the way it determines users’ ages, with the goal of preventing children under 13 from creating accounts and making it easier to identify teen users.

The agreement calls for stronger controls involving bullying, eating disorders, suicide and self-harm content. Parents would receive expanded and simplified controls over their children’s accounts, while children and parents would have more ability to turn off features associated with social comparison.

Those features include visible “like” counts and beauty filters designed to mimic cosmetic surgery, which state officials say have been associated with negative mental health effects among young users.

An independent auditor and the states involved in the settlement would regularly evaluate whether the new protections are being implemented and whether they are effective.

“Nothing is more critical than protecting our children, and social media companies have fallen short of that mission,” Ayotte said in a news release announcing the agreement.

She said New Hampshire intends to use the settlement proceeds to continue efforts aimed at protecting children and supporting youth mental health services.

Formella said the state sought changes that would be harder for children to bypass than previous safety measures implemented by social media companies.

“While this settlement represents an important step in our efforts, our concerns about social media have always been about more than one company,” Formella said in the release.

The investigation that led to the settlement began in 2021, when attorneys general from across the country began examining the ways social media companies designed their platforms for young users.

According to the New Hampshire Department of Justice, the investigation found that Meta’s recommendation systems and other design features encouraged prolonged use while the company internally documented mental health concerns involving young users.

Several states eventually joined a federal lawsuit against Meta in California, while New Hampshire and a small number of other states pursued separate cases in state courts. The new agreement resolves New Hampshire’s case along with claims brought by the other participating states and territories.

The settlement also resolves allegations concerning Meta’s sharing of nonpublic Facebook user information with third parties, including Cambridge Analytica, in the period leading up to the 2016 presidential election.

State officials characterized the agreement as a broader effort to establish new expectations for the social media industry, rather than simply resolving claims against Meta.

The settlement’s terms have been agreed upon by the parties but still require court approval.

New Hampshire officials said the state’s Department of Justice will continue working with parents, educators and other groups as it pursues additional measures aimed at limiting the potential harms of social media use among children.

The Department of Justice Consumer Protection and Antitrust Bureau investigates allegations involving unfair, deceptive or unreasonable practices affecting New Hampshire consumers.