Meta ordered to pay $567 million more for child safety failures in New Mexico

A New Mexico court has mandated Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, to pay an additional $567 million for failing to adequately warn the public about the dangers its platforms pose to children. This significant penalty, reported by the BBC, marks the largest ruling against the company to date concerning child safety.

The court's order also requires Meta to implement a series of safety measures aimed at mitigating the "far-reaching consequences of harm" to young users. This new sum is in addition to the $375 million Meta was previously ordered to pay in the same case, pushing the total fine to $942 million.

In his reasoning, Judge Bryan Biedscheid drew a stark comparison, likening Meta to a factory where advertisements and content are the product, and "the psychological damage and sexual exploitation of children is the pollution that must be removed." A Meta spokesperson stated that the company disagrees with the decision and intends to appeal the ruling.

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the psychological damage and sexual exploitation of children is the pollution that must be removed