Meta Ordered to Pay $942 Million in Child Safety Case

Meta has been ordered by a judge in the US state of New Mexico to pay an additional $567 million (£421 million) over concerns that its platforms failed to adequately protect children from harmful content and online exploitation.

The latest ruling comes on top of an earlier $375 million penalty, bringing the total amount the company has been ordered to pay to $942 million.

The case centred on claims that Meta's platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, exposed young users to harmful material and interactions through the company's recommendation systems.

Judge Bryan Biedscheid ruled that the impact of Meta's platforms on children had become widespread enough to constitute a "public nuisance", comparing the company's role to pollution produced by a factory.

In its response, Meta said it disagrees with the court's decision and intends to appeal.

A company spokesperson said Meta continues to invest heavily in online safety and remains committed to protecting young people using its platforms.

The spokesperson added that the company believes the ruling does not accurately reflect the steps it has already taken to identify harmful content and remove users who pose risks to children.

The New Mexico Attorney General's Office argued that Meta should be held responsible for the way its platforms allegedly exposed children to sexually explicit material and contact with online predators.

Court Orders New Safety Measures

Alongside the financial penalties, the court ordered Meta to introduce additional safeguards for users under the age of 18.

These include:

Preventing adult users from being recommended to under-18 accounts.
Blocking direct messages from adults to minors.
Prohibiting the sharing of nude images involving under-18 users.
Introducing a "one-strike" policy for adults involved in child sexual exploitation.
Removing public "like" counts for younger users.
Restricting overnight push notifications.
Introducing limits on the amount of time under-18s can spend using Facebook and Instagram each month.

The court also directed that a significant proportion of the money be used to fund mental health support, prevention programmes and education aimed at reducing the impact of online harms affecting children.

The legal case was originally brought by the State of New Mexico in 2023 and is one of several lawsuits currently facing Meta across the United States.

The company is also defending numerous other legal claims relating to child safety, online privacy and the operation of its recommendation algorithms.

The latest ruling comes as governments around the world continue to debate how technology companies should balance innovation with the protection of children online.

Meta has confirmed it will appeal the ruling, meaning the case is expected to continue through the US legal system.

Meanwhile, the company faces further legal action in other states, with another major trial concerning child privacy laws due to begin in California.

The outcome of these cases could influence future regulation of social media platforms both in the United States and internationally.