ONE MORE SCROLL
🤳 Meta’s $17 billion “go touch grass” moment · State lawmakers consider audit of MNPS · Hello, (potential Atlantic tropical storm) Dolly · Much more!
Support The Pamphleteer! If you would like to support our work, you can sign up for a monthly membership or give a tax deductible donation our charitable partner (Membership or Donate)
Largest big tech settlement in history: TN takes a $751 million bite out of Meta’s $17 billion settlement over its addiction machine.
From Megan Podsiedlik
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti announced that the state is part of a landmark multistate settlement with Meta (Instagram and Facebook), resolving claims that the company designed platforms with addictive features, contributed to youth mental health harms, misled the public about safety, and other issues involving underage users.
Tennessee will receive $751.1 million of the up to $17.1 billion total settlement involving 47 states, Washington, D.C., and several U.S. territories. The funds will be going to Tennessee’s new Children’s Digital Protection Fund to help protect and restore the mental health and safety of Tennessee children.
“We took Meta to trial because Instagram was hurting kids and misleading parents,” said Attorney General Skrmetti. “Now we’re ending the trial with a settlement that imposes unprecedented protections for kids and delivers record-setting money for Tennessee’s Children’s Digital Protection Fund. The settlement addresses Meta’s role in an industry-wide problem, and now the rest of Big Tech needs to catch up to Meta and implement similar protections. We’re going to make sure they do.”
The settlement imposes new child-safety measures on Instagram and Facebook (applying to young users), including:
- 2-hour daily limit across Instagram and Facebook, with required breaks.
- Overnight access blocked from midnight to 6 a.m.
- School-day notification limits from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays.
- Stronger age verification for young users.
- Expanded parental controls that are easier to use.
- More safeguards against bullying, eating-disorder content, suicide, and self-harm material.
- Limits on beauty filters and visible “like” counts for young users.
The settlement ended the state-court trial that was underway in Tennessee, which included current/former Meta employees, researchers, and state officials. When Skrmetti announced the lawsuit against Meta in 2023, the initial complaint was heavily redacted. The unredacted version later revealed Meta’s focused efforts to capture Tennessee’s under-35 and teenage markets.
✹ PROPERTY TAX CALCULATOR
What Moved Your Bill? Use our handy new tool to see what contributed to your property tax bill increase: the reappraisal or the rate hike. (Try It Out)
TAKE THE SCENIC ROUTE: CHASING PEAK FOLIAGE
🍂 A dry spell can cause leaves to change earlier than usual, but the true Mid-South foliage season typically gets underway in mid-September.
HEADLINES
- 🔎 State lawmakers considering audit of MNPS. State lawmakers are considering an audit of Metro Nashville Public Schools that could examine the district’s finances, spending practices, and use of taxpayer money. The audit could give state officials a closer look at how MNPS is operating and potentially identify areas where the district could improve its financial management and accountability. (WKRN)
- 🌪 The next named Atlantic storm is Dolly. The next storm to receive a name in the Atlantic would be Dolly, creating an unusual coincidence just after Dolly Parton’s passing. The name was selected as part of the predetermined storm-naming system and has no connection to Parton. A tropical system is currently being monitored for possible development into the next named storm. (Tennessean)
- 📏 Skrmetti says state law provides backstop for county school budget disputes. According to Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, Tennessee law provides a legal backstop when counties and school systems cannot agree on a school budget. If a schools director refuses to submit a budget reflecting the county’s funding decision, the county can seek a court order requiring the director to comply. (TNJ)
✹ METRO COUNCIL WATCH
New Council Watch Features We've added additional features to Council Watch. In addition to who's funding your council member, you can now see how they vote and who they vote with most frequently. (Take a Look)
DEVELOPMENT
- Forest Hills residential property sells for $20M (Post)
THINGS TO DO
View our calendar for the week here.
📅 Visit our On The Radar list to find upcoming events around Nashville.
🎧 On Spotify: Pamphleteer's Picks, a playlist of our favorite bands in town this week.
👨🏻🌾 Check out our Nashville farmer's market guide.
TONIGHT
🙋🏻♀️ WNXP Music Trivia @ Vinyl Tap, 7p, Info
🪕 Jack Schneider @ Station Inn, 8p, $20, Info
🤠 The Starlight Jamboree @ Skinny Dennis, 7p, $10, Info
💀 Tennessee Dead @ Tennessee Brew Works, 6p, Info
🎸 Kelley's Heroes @ Robert's Western World, 6:30p, Free, Info
🎸 The Cowpokes @ Robert's Western World, 10:30p, Free, Info
🪕 Bluegrass Night @ The American Legion Post 82, 7p, Free, Info
📰 Check out the full newsletter archive here.
The Pamphleteer
The Pamphleteer
The Pamphleteer
The Pamphleteer
Today's newsletter is brought to you by Davis Hunt, Megan Podsiedlik, and Camelia Brennan.