Meta fined $567m in largest child safety ruling against social media giant

In a landmark ruling, a US judge in New Mexico has ordered Meta to pay $567m in the largest child safety lawsuit against the social media giant. This amounts to $567m on top of the previously ordered $375m, totaling $942m in fines. Judge Bryan Biedscheid likened Meta to a "public nuisance" akin to air pollution, with the psychological harm and sexual exploitation of children being "the pollution that must be abated".

The social media giant, which owns Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp and Threads, has been ordered to place the money in a fund aimed at reducing future harms. The ruling is the first time a state has successfully sued Meta over child safety issues, and follows Meta's loss in a similar case in Los Angeles earlier this year. Meta spokesperson stated they disagree with the ruling and will appeal, vowing to continue defending themselves against claims that misrepresent the facts.

The judge mandated Meta to create a fund to pay for efforts to mitigate the harms caused by its platforms, with $420m earmarked for treatment of existing harms, $70m for awareness and prevention training, and a series of new measures including restricting account recommendations, messaging between adults and under-18s, and a ban on nudity by underage users.