Meta Hit With $567 Million Judgment in New Mexico Child Safety Case

A New Mexico judge has ordered Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, to pay a staggering $567 million in a landmark child safety case. This decision marks the largest financial penalty the tech giant has faced in its legal battles concerning social media addiction and its impact on minors. The ruling, delivered by Judge Bryan Biedscheid, not only adds to the $375 million Meta had previously been ordered to pay last March but also comes on top of the $567 million judgment announced on Thursday.

The case initially found Meta guilty of misleading its users about the safety of its platforms, thereby enabling the sexual exploitation of its young users. This judgement is earmarked for a fund designed to remedy damages caused by Meta, which will be used for treatment of young users adversely affected by social media. Additionally, Meta is now barred from sending push notifications to underage users on Instagram and Facebook between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. Furthermore, the company must curtail the time underage users spend on its social media platforms, limiting it to no more than 90 hours per month.

Judge Biedscheid emphasized in his ruling that while Meta is not the sole contributor to the mental health crisis among New Mexico's youth, its social media platforms significantly contribute to the problem. The company's response to the ruling involves planning to appeal the decision. They maintain that they are committed to keeping people safe on their platforms and have been transparent about their challenges with identifying and removing harmful content.

New Mexico's state attorney general, Raúl Torrez, hailed the ruling, stating that Meta knew about the harm its platforms were causing to New Mexico's youth for years, prioritizing engagement and profit over safety.