On Background with Susan Crabtree
On Background with Susan Crabtree
Government Accountability Institute
The $18 Billion Meta Deal Where the Lawyers Win Bigger Than the Kids | Ep. 36
27 minutes Posted Aug 28, 2026 at 3:59 pm.
Meta's $18 billion settlement, explained 02:00 Why the timing raises questions 04:20 Rob Bonta makes his case 05:47 The changes Meta agreed to 07:05 Follow the money in California 08:40 Jonathan Haidt: the algorithm still runs 11:27 CNBC runs the math on the payout 16:08 Florida's AG invokes the $200 billion tobacco deal 20:21 The games targeting young children 25:14 Bonta's tobacco model, and what he left out
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Meta agreed to settle with 47 states one day before Mark Zuckerberg was set to take the stand. California Attorney General Rob Bonta calls the deal a milestone. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier calls the deal a giveaway. Susan Crabtree and Eric Eggers follow the money, run the math, and ask why the number looks so small next to the tobacco settlement of the 1990s.
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