SAN FRANCISCO: A New Mexico judge has ordered Meta to pay more than $567 million after ruling that the social media giant created a public nuisance and failed to adequately protect children from online harms.
The decision follows a jury verdict in March that found Meta liable for endangering children by exposing them to online predators and misleading users about the safety of its platforms.
Meta said it would appeal the ruling.
“We disagree with the ruling and will appeal,” the company said in a statement.
“We work hard to keep people safe on our platforms and have been transparent about the challenges of identifying and removing bad actors and harmful content.”
Lawsuit Over Child Safety
New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez sued Meta in 2023, accusing the company of failing to protect children using Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp from online exploitation.
During the trial, prosecutors argued that Meta’s algorithms directed adults towards content posted by teenage users while concealing internal research highlighting risks faced by young people.
In March, the jury concluded that Meta had violated New Mexico’s Unfair Practices Act by misleading consumers about the safety of its products for children.
“This case has always been about protecting children, standing up for families, and making sure that one of the world’s largest technology companies cannot profit from practices that endanger young people without consequence,” Torrez said.
Mental Health Fund
Under Thursday’s ruling, approximately three-quarters of the $567 million award will be allocated to mental health treatment programmes over the next five years.
The remaining funds will support awareness campaigns, prevention initiatives, screening, referral services and programme implementation and evaluation.
Meta must also submit compliance reports to the court twice each year.
Product Changes Ordered
Judge Bryan Biedscheid ordered Meta to introduce additional measures aimed at protecting children in New Mexico.
The company must continue efforts to prevent children under the age of 13 from accessing Facebook and Instagram.
The ruling also requires Meta to limit push notifications and platform use for users under 18 to 90 hours per month, equivalent to about three hours a day on average, and to hide public “like” counts for younger users.
The judge noted that teenagers are especially vulnerable to engagement-driven features such as autoplay, infinite scrolling, algorithmic recommendations and push notifications, although he acknowledged that some of those issues extend across the wider social media industry and involve free speech considerations.
Growing Legal Pressure
The ruling comes as Meta faces thousands of similar lawsuits across the United States over the alleged impact of social media on children’s mental health.
More than 30 US states have filed cases against the company, with another major trial expected to begin later this month in California.
The case also follows a series of recent legal settlements involving Meta and other major technology companies, including YouTube, TikTok and Snap, over claims related to the safety of young users.
