Meta Ordered to Pay $567 Million in New Mexico Child Safety Case
A New Mexico court has ordered Meta to pay $567 million to a fund dedicated to minors’ mental health and to change the way its platforms operate for young users after finding the company responsible for harming children’s safety and well-being.
Judge Bryan Biedscheid, sitting in Santa Fe, ruled that Meta had created a public nuisance in New Mexico, supporting the position of state Attorney General Raúl Torrez, a Democrat.
Torrez had accused the social media company of designing its products in ways that encouraged addiction among minors and failing to protect children from sexual exploitation on its platforms, according to Reuters.
Under the ruling, Meta must implement a series of safety measures to protect young users. Additionally, these include monthly limits on minors’ use of Facebook and Instagram, restrictions on notifications, stricter controls governing contact between adults and minors, safeguards for users interacting with artificial intelligence-powered chatbots, and stronger procedures for reviewing reports of child sexual abuse. The measures will remain in effect for five years.
Meta said it would appeal the ruling and was working to identify and remove harmful content from its platforms.
In a statement, the company said: “We remain confident in our record of protecting teens online and will continue to defend ourselves against claims that distort the facts.”
Earlier in the case, a New Mexico jury ordered Meta in March to pay $375 million after finding that the company had violated consumer-protection law by providing misleading information about the safety of Facebook and Instagram for young users.
The case is being closely watched amid a growing wave of lawsuits accusing social media companies of harming minors. Although many actions have been brought by children and families over harm allegedly suffered by individuals, states, municipalities, and school districts have also filed lawsuits seeking broader changes across the industry.
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