A New Mexico judge has ordered Meta to pay $567m for failing to warn the public about dangers its platforms pose to children, the largest fine the company has faced over child safety. The judge labeled Meta a "public nuisance," bringing its total penalties in the case to $942m, and Meta says it will appeal.
Judge Bryan Biedscheid ordered Meta to pay $567m on Thursday, ruling the social media giant failed to warn the public about the dangers its platforms pose to children. The sum comes on top of $375m in fines Meta was already ordered to pay in the same case, bringing the total to $942m.
Judge likens Meta to a polluting factory
Biedscheid compared Meta to a factory, calling advertising and content its product and describing the psychological harm and sexual exploitation of children as the pollution it must clean up. He found Meta's harms had reached the level of a "public nuisance" — the ruling appears to be the first time a social media company has been given that designation. According to a Meta spokesperson: "We disagree with the ruling and will appeal."
The case traces back to a 2023 lawsuit filed by attorneys for the State of New Mexico, which argued Meta's platforms exposed children to sexually explicit material and sexual predators. In the trial's first phase, Meta was found to have repeatedly violated New Mexico's Unfair Practices Act as its recommendation algorithms steered young users toward harmful content.
Fund and new safety rules
Most of the money, $420m, will fund clinical and behavioral health treatment for harm already caused, with the remainder going toward training for teachers and health professionals. Biedscheid also ordered Meta to bar adults from messaging underage users, ban nudity involving minors, and enforce a 90-hour monthly usage cap across Instagram and Facebook for users under 18, among other measures.
More legal pressure ahead
Meta is facing thousands of similar lawsuits in the US, and next week another trial opens in California, where attorneys general from nearly three dozen states are suing the company over child privacy law violations. Meta posted $61bn in revenue for the April-to-June quarter, up 28% from a year earlier. Former Twitter executive Bruce Daisley said the fine, while large, is comparatively minor for a company of Meta's size.
Source: BBC News
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