Sean Reed at The Center Square reports Social Media Giant Meta has agreed to a deal with 47 States to settle a joint lawsuit, with Illinois set to receive up to $768 million. As the funds were announced, some in Illinois began calling for it to be used as additional education funding for a budget-strapped Chicago Public Schools. A bipartisan coalition of State Attorneys General announced a $17.1 billion settlement with Meta Platforms Incorporated, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, in a lawsuit over risks its platforms pose to young users. Illinois’ portion of the settlement totals $768 million, though the funds aren’t being directly given to impacted users or their parents. Instead, the State gets to choose how to use the funds. The Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) said the new funds could fund a Statewide education gap, which has been a focus of State Lawmakers, the Governor and at Chicago Public Schools. IFT President Stacy Davis Gates, who also serves as Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) President, said in a statement the State should use the funds for Illinois students: “The Governor has said he supports more funding for education but didn’t know where it would come from. The settlement with Meta just made that answer even easier. Schools from Peoria to Belleville to Chicago are counting on the Governor and the General Assembly to prioritize students the way we’ve seen them prioritize Big Tech and billionaire stadium owners.”

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