February 19, 2026, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg leaves federal court in downtown Los Angeles after defending the company in a landmark social media addiction trial in Los Angeles, USA.
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National Parent Teacher Association splits meta As a high-profile lawsuit regarding the social media giant’s child safety unfolds.
Yvonne Johnson, president of the influential education-focused nonprofit, said in a letter to members obtained Friday by CNBC that the organization “does not intend to pursue renewal funding from Meta to support PTA Connected in 2026,” referring to efforts aimed at helping educate parents, children and teachers about digital safety tools and resources.
“As you can see, increased public scrutiny regarding digital safety and lawsuits involving companies, including Meta, have created new challenges. This is a challenge that has proven time-consuming and difficult for the National PTA,” Johnson said in the February letter.
Johnson did not say how much money the national PTA received from Meta.
The social media giant is facing trials in both California and New Mexico accusing Mr. Mehta of misleading the public about the safety of apps such as Instagram.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified this week in Los Angeles Superior Court in a case involving a plaintiff called KGM, who claims that certain design features have caused him to rely on apps like Instagram and YouTube and have caused him significant emotional distress.
Mehta is also involved in another ongoing court case in New Mexico, where the state’s attorney general claims Mehta failed to protect the app from online predators.
The company denies the charges in both cases.
Mehta declined to comment. CNBC has reached out to the National PTA for additional comment.
National PTA and Meta “have had a funding relationship since 2017,” Johnson wrote, noting that the previous agreement ended on Dec. 31, 2025.
Sharon Winkler, a founding member of the child safety advocacy group Parents for Safe Online Spaces (ParentsSOS), said in a statement that Zuckerberg’s testimony shows the National PTA “made the right choice in dissolving the partnership.”
“His company has been intentionally getting children addicted to its social media products for years,” Winkler said. “Countless children have been harmed and families like ours have been destroyed as a result of Zuckerberg’s greed and relentless pursuit of market share.”
parentsSOS also said it has asked the national PTA to “end its partnerships with other Big Tech companies, including Discord.” googleTikTok” out of concern for the safety and well-being of children.
These tech companies and others have filed multiple lawsuits across the country over similar claims related to the design and functionality of their services, with plaintiffs claiming that these services seriously harm young users’ mental health and compromise their safety.
The split comes months after technology watchdog the Tech Transparency Project released a report detailing the relationship between Meta and National PTA, which TTP characterized as part of a broader effort by the social media giant to shape public opinion about child safety on apps like Instagram.
As reported by CNBC, TTP wrote at the time: “As pressure mounts on Meta over its impact on children and their welfare, the company has responded with a variety of tactics to influence the public debate.”
The National PTA told CNBC in a statement at the time that the organization accepted the sponsorship from Meta so the social media giant could have a “seat at the table” and be a “strong and clear voice for parents and children.”
“Working with Meta provides an opportunity to inform families about the safety of Meta’s apps and available tools (e.g. parental controls, age restriction features) and resources (parent guides, online safety center, etc.),” the national PTA said at the time.
Note: The worst outcome of the Meta LA case could result in structural changes to the app.
