Court orders Meta to pay an additional $567 million in New Mexico child safety case
A judge has ruled that Meta is a public nuisance and has to pay fine that will go towards funding state programs.
A New Mexico court has ordered social media giant Meta to pay an additional $567 million into a child safety abatement fund. This decision follows a previous ruling that found Meta liable for violating consumer protection laws, resulting in a $375 million fine. Judge Bryan Biedscheid likened Meta's platforms to factories that emit psychological harm and sexual exploitation, describing the harmful effects as "pollution" that spread beyond the platforms themselves, affecting the internet and the real world.
Meta has threatened to shut down its apps in New Mexico if the court forces changes, a claim the state's Attorney General Raúl Torrez dismissed as a public relations tactic. The additional $567 million will fund various programs aimed at internet safety, including training for educators and community health centers. Meta must also implement several safety measures, such as default private settings for users under 18, limiting friends for underage users, and pausing notifications between specific hours.
The company must also display information banners about safe practices and limit the time teens can spend on the platforms. Despite the ruling, Meta plans to appeal and stated that it remains committed to keeping users safe on its platforms.
Written by urgent.news from Engadget's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
