TRENTON – Senate President Nick Scutari released the following statement after tech company Meta agreed to a multistate settlement of up to $17 billion and the implementation of new child-safety measures on its social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram:

“This settlement represents a generational breakthrough that will fundamentally change how children interact with social media. After years of profiting from addictive algorithms, promoting harmful content, and skating by while our children’s mental health suffered, today Big Tech is finally being held to a higher standard.

“With this agreement, parents will no longer be alone in the fight to protect their children online. New safety features, including daily time limits, enhanced age verification and parental controls, and restrictions on sensitive content will help ensure Meta does its part to manage its platforms responsibly and foster healthier relationships between kids and their devices.

“I sincerely thank Governor Sherrill and Attorney General Davenport for their leadership and for working in a bipartisan way with states across the country to bring about real change and address this public health crisis. I am looking forward to working with Governor Sherrill to ensure that any monies the state receives from this settlement are used solely for children's mental health programs and services."