Last week, Kentucky, along with several other states, settled a major case out of court with Facebook and Instagram’s parent company, Meta Inc. The tech giant has agreed to pay up to $17.1 billion ($358 million to the Commonwealth of Kentucky) and to make major changes to children’s access to its addictive apps.
While some are defending Meta on the grounds of free enterprise and free expression, Coleman’s office was right to seek a settlement and to seek protections for minors on these platforms.
Meta has now agreed to implement time limits and “Productive Pauses” for children on Instagram and Facebook, thereby limiting their time on the apps to two hours a day. They’re also adopting features to stop “endless scrolling” by limiting the availability of content.
“Nightime blocks” between midnight and 6:00 a.m. are another big upset, as are limits on school-time access on weekdays between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
Other changes include greater safety measures, stronger safeguards against bullying, and parental controls that are more easily operable.
These limitations are common sense and should have been adopted years ago. Social media addiction radically alters the experience of childhood for countless minors. Nearly all Kentucky families have experienced the negative effects of this, but some cases have been especially grave.
One tragic case highlights this. Elijah Heacock from Glasgow, Kentucky took his own life last year after being harassed on social media, and ultimately blackmailed concerning the release of AI-generated photos of himself.
Elijah’s story is gut-wrenching, but his mother, Shannon Heacock, insists it must be told. She travelled to California to advocate for stronger protections for minors online at Meta’s trial. And though “shocked” at the settlement, Heacock says she’s concerned about how meaningful these protections will be long-term.
The platform changes will sunset after 10 years. Shannon is concerned about future generations: “I mean what’s going to happen in 10 years when my granddaughter will be 13 years old? What happens then? Does that leave it open to go back to the way it was?”
Kentucky has previously sought to remedy this long-standing problem via legislation. In the 2026 legislative session, Rep. Matt Lockett introduced House Bill 227 (HB 227) to deal with this problem. The bill sought to remove “addictive features” on minor’s accounts, including “infinite scrolling” and “seamless content” without page breaks.
HB 227 also would have limited the time a child under 15 years-of-age could spend on a social media account without parental consent. The bill had bi-partisan backers and also garnered strong support from the Attorney General’s Office. It passed the House 96-0, but never made it out of committee in the Senate.
Lockett said Meta’s lobbying “kicked into high gear” after the bill passed the House, with spending reports indicating over $5,600 in lobbying expenses for HB 227 and other bills during the 2026 Session.
Lockett, Coleman, and other conservative advocates are strong supporters of free markets. However, Meta’s massive platform is more than a marketable product. They make their money off of the childhoods’ of children—monetizing the time spent on their platforms.
Limitations on free markets are what allows for a truly free people. Minors are prohibited from buying addictive and harmful products like tobacco and alcohol. Restaurants are required to meet certain health standards. Farmers and food processors must comply with industry regulations.
You will not find many arguing against these “limits” on market freedom. These limitations are for the good of society, as they protect consumers from industries that may harm the very consumers they exist to serve.
Coleman and Lockett are seeking to hold Meta to this same standard. Social media platforms have caused countless harms to minors since their inception, and it’s high-time they be held accountable.
