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

A New Mexico judge recently ordered Meta to pay an additional $567 million in the largest child safety ruling against the social media giant, bringing the total fine to $942 million. Judge Bryan Biedscheid deemed Meta a "public nuisance" akin to air pollution, saying the company must fund a scheme aimed at reducing future harms.

The ruling, which is the first of its kind, comes on top of a $375 million fine already ordered by the court. Judge Biedscheid compared Meta to a factory, with advertising and content as its product and "the psychological harm and sexual exploitation of children to be the pollution that must be abated." Meta spokesperson stated they disagree with the ruling and will appeal.

The judge ordered Meta to create a fund to cover the wide-ranging effects of the harm caused by the platform, with $420 million allocated for treatment of existing harms and $420 million for awareness and prevention efforts, including training for teachers and health professionals. Meta is currently facing numerous lawsuits in the US over similar issues, and next week, another major trial begins in California, with nearly three dozen US state attorneys general suing the company for violating child privacy laws.