Meta ordered to pay $567 million in New Mexico child safety ruling
A judge in New Mexico has ordered Meta to pay $567 million after finding the company liable for child safety harms, marking a record ruling against the social media giant.
A court in the US state of New Mexico has ordered Meta to pay $567 million after ruling that the social media giant created a public nuisance and exposed children to online harms. State Judge Bryan Biedscheid determined that the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp failed to adequately warn the public about risks to minors, comparing the platform's impacts to environmental pollution.
The penalty follows an earlier jury verdict in March that awarded $375 million to the state over Meta's failure to protect young users from online predators and mental health risks. Under the new ruling, the financial award will be placed into a dedicated fund intended to mitigate future harms against children.
The judgment represents the largest monetary penalty imposed on a major social media company in a child safety lawsuit.
Sources: BBC News, Der Spiegel, Die Zeit, France24
Sources
- BBC News — Meta fined $567m in largest child safety ruling against social media giant
- Die Zeit — Soziale Medien: Meta wegen Gefährdung von Kindern zu Millionenstrafe verurteilt
- France24 — Social media giant Meta ordered to pay $567 million in New Mexico child safety ruling
- Der Spiegel — Meta: US-Gericht verdonnert Konzern wegen Gefährdung von Kindern zu 567 Millionen US-Dollar Strafe