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A New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay more than half a billion dollars over the state’s claims that the social media giant created a “public nuisance” and harmed children.
Meta was previously ordered to pay $375 million in damages to New Mexico in March when a jury found the company liable for endangering children by making them vulnerable to predators on its platforms, among other harms.
“We disagree with the ruling and will appeal,” Meta said in a statement. Adding that they “work hard to keep people safe and have been transparent about the challenges of identifying and removing bad actors and harmful content.”
New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez sued Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, in 2023, alleging it failed to shield children from online harms.
During closing arguments, prosecutor Linda Singer told jurors that Meta’s algorithms actively directed adults toward content published by teenage users, while the tech giant concealed internal findings regarding the risks posed to young people.
‘A victory for every parent’
In March, the jury concluded that Meta had violated the state’s Unfair Practices Act by misleading consumers about the safety of its platforms 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 in a statement Thursday.
“Today’s decision is a victory for every parent who has worried about what social media is doing to their child and every child who deserves to grow up safer online.”
Approximately three-quarters of the newly established $567 million fund must be directed towards mental health treatment, disbursed over a five-year period.
The remaining balance is distributed among programmes focusing on “awareness and prevention,” “screening and assessment,” “referral, linkage, and coordination,” as well as implementation and evaluation.
Meta will also be obligated to submit bi-annual progress reports to the court detailing its compliance measures.
Additional sources • AFP