Washington: The National Parent Teacher Association has decided not to renew its funding partnership with Meta as the social media company faces ongoing child-safety court cases.
Yvonne Johnson, president of the National PTA, informed members in a letter that the organization will not pursue renewal funding from Meta for its “PTA Connected” initiative in 2026. The program focuses on educating parents, students, and teachers about online safety tools and digital awareness.
Johnson said increasing public scrutiny and legal challenges involving Meta have created new difficulties for the nonprofit.
Ongoing Legal Cases
Meta is currently facing trials in California and New Mexico related to child safety concerns.
In Los Angeles, CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently testified in a case involving allegations that design features on platforms such as Instagram contributed to addiction and mental health harm among young users.
In New Mexico, the state’s attorney general has accused Meta of failing to adequately protect its platforms from online predators.
Meta has denied the allegations in both cases.
Long-Standing Funding Relationship
The National PTA and Meta had a funding relationship since 2017. The previous agreement ended on December 31, 2025.
Johnson did not disclose the amount of funding received from Meta over the years.
The decision to end the partnership follows a report published last year by the Tech Transparency Project, which examined Meta’s financial relationship with the National PTA. The watchdog group suggested that such partnerships could influence public discussions around child safety.
At the time, the National PTA said it accepted funding from Meta to ensure parents and educators had access to safety tools and information about digital platforms.
Reactions from Advocacy Groups
Child-safety advocacy group Parents for Safe Online Spaces welcomed the decision. The group said ending the partnership was a step in the right direction.
The organization has also called for the National PTA to review partnerships with other technology companies involved in similar lawsuits.
Several tech firms, including Google, TikTok, and Discord, are also facing legal actions related to claims that aspects of their platforms may harm young users’ mental health and safety.
What’s Next
The National PTA has not announced any new funding partners for its digital safety programs.
The move comes as legal and public debates continue over how social media companies design and manage their platforms, particularly for children and teenagers.
