Meta Fined $567 Million in Largest Child Safety Ruling
At a glance
- A US court ordered Meta to pay an additional $567 million for failing to protect children, bringing the total to $942 million.
- The judge described Meta as a "public nuisance" and compared the harm to "pollution."
- Meta plans to appeal the ruling, stating it works to keep users safe and remove harmful content.
Story so far
A court in New Mexico initially ordered Meta to pay $375 million after a jury found it knowingly contributed to mental health harm in children. Subsequently, the court ordered an additional $567 million in penalties, bringing the total financial penalties against Meta in this case to approximately $942 million. The judge described Meta as a "public nuisance" and mandated safeguards on its platforms, including usage limits for minors and stricter monitoring. Meta has consistently stated its disagreement with the rulings and intends to appeal.
Latest development
A US judge has ordered Meta to pay an additional $567 million for failing to warn about dangers to children, bringing the total fine to $942 million. The judge likened the harm caused by Meta's platforms to "pollution that must be abated."
Latest updates
A US judge in New Mexico has ordered Meta to pay an additional $567 million (£421 million) for its failure to warn the public about dangers its platforms posed to children, marking the largest fine against the company over child safety. Judge Bryan Biedscheid described Meta as a “public nuisance” akin to air pollution, stating that the psychological harm and sexual exploitation of children resulting from its platforms are a form of “pollution that must be abated.” This ruling adds to the $375 million Meta was previously ordered to pay, bringing the total to $942 million.
A spokesperson for Meta, which owns and operates Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and Threads, stated, “We disagree with the ruling and will appeal.” The spokesperson added, “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. We remain confident in our record of protecting teens online and will continue to defend ourselves against claims that misrepresent the facts.” Meta had expressed similar intentions to appeal the earlier $375 million verdict. This case marks the first time a state has successfully sued Meta over child safety issues, and the company is currently facing thousands of similar lawsuits across the US. Earlier this year, Meta also lost a landmark case in Los Angeles which found it could be held liable for building addictive platforms.
The New Mexico court's ruling against Meta also mandated several new safeguards for its platforms. These include imposing monthly usage limits for minor users, restricting unnecessary notifications, implementing stricter monitoring of interactions between adult and minor users, and introducing artificial intelligence (AI) chat restrictions. New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez stated, "Meta prioritized profit over children's safety," adding that this decision could serve as a model for other states and countries to protect their children.
Responses