Meta Ordered to Pay $567 Million in New Mexico Child Safety Case A New Mexico judge has ordered Meta to pay an additional $567 million in penalties, bringing the total financial burden from this case to over $942 million. This ruling, issued late Thursday, follows a previous $375 million fine imposed by a jury in March, which found Meta had misled users about the safety of its platforms and enabled the sexual exploitation of minors. The judge’s decision marks the largest financial penalty yet against the tech giant in its ongoing legal battles over social media harm and addiction. The $567 million will be allocated to a fund aimed at addressing damages caused by Meta’s platforms, including financial support for treatment programs for young people affected by social media-related harm. Judge Bryan Biedscheid of the State District Court in Santa Fe emphasized in his ruling that Meta’s platforms are a “significant contributing factor” to the mental health crisis among New Mexico’s youth, citing substantial evidence presented during the case. He noted that while Meta is not the sole entity responsible for the crisis, its role in exacerbating the issue was central to the court’s decision. Meta has publicly disagreed with the ruling and plans to appeal. In a statement, Andy Stone, a Meta spokesperson, acknowledged the company’s commitment to user safety but expressed confidence in its efforts to protect teens online. “We work hard to keep people safe on our platforms and have been transparent about the challenges of identifying and removing bad actors and harmful content,” Stone said. The company reiterated its stance that the allegations against it misrepresent the facts and that it remains dedicated to defending its practices in court. The judge’s order also mandates specific changes to how Meta operates in New Mexico.#instagram #meta #new_mexico #raul_torrez #judge_bryan_biedscheid
New Mexico Court Orders Meta to Pay $567M for Child Mental Health Harm A New Mexico court has mandated Meta, the parent company of Facebook, to pay $567 million into a fund designed to address the adverse mental health impacts of its platforms on children. This ruling marks the second phase of a landmark trial that previously found the company liable for enabling harm to users, with the first phase concluding in March when a jury imposed a $375 million fine. The new order brings Meta’s total financial responsibility to $942 million, reflecting the court’s determination that the company’s actions have caused significant harm to young users. Judge Bryan Biedscheid emphasized that the majority of the funds—$420 million—will be allocated to treatment services for children in New Mexico, while the remaining amount will support awareness campaigns, screening programs, and other preventive measures over the next five years. The court’s decision underscores the severity of the harm attributed to Meta’s platforms, which were found to have facilitated child sexual exploitation and contributed to mental health crises among minors. The March trial, which marked the first time a social media company was held liable for harms on its platform, followed a 2023 Guardian investigation revealing how Facebook and Instagram had become marketplaces for child sex trafficking. Former Meta moderators testified that they had flagged harmful content related to child grooming, but these cases were not escalated. The second phase of the trial, which began in May, focused on imposing structural changes at Meta to mitigate risks, including reining in addictive features, improving age verification, and preventing child sexual exploitation through enhanced privacy settings and oversight.#meta #new_mexico #raul_torrez #judge_bryan_biedscheid #new_mexico_attorney_general
Meta Fined $567 Million in Largest Child Safety Ruling Against Social Media Giant A U.S. judge in New Mexico has ordered Meta to pay an additional $567 million for failing to warn the public about the dangers its platforms posed to children, marking the largest fine against the company over child safety issues. The ruling, issued by Judge Bryan Biedscheid, labels Meta a "public nuisance" comparable to air pollution, requiring the company to establish a fund to address future harms. This penalty adds to a previous $375 million fine, bringing the total to $942 million. Judge Biedscheid likened Meta to a factory, with advertising and content as its product and "the psychological harm and sexual exploitation of children" as the pollution that must be mitigated. The judge emphasized that Meta’s platforms have caused widespread societal harm, extending beyond its own services to affect the broader internet and real-world environments. The fund ordered to be created will allocate $420 million toward treating harms already caused, including funding clinical and behavioral health programs, while another portion will support training for educators and health professionals on addressing social media-related risks to children. Meta, which operates Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and Threads, has stated it disagrees with the ruling and plans to appeal. A company spokesperson said, "We work hard to keep people safe on our platforms and have been transparent about the challenges of identifying and removing harmful content. We remain confident in our record of protecting teens online and will continue to defend ourselves against claims that misrepresent the facts." This response mirrors Meta’s stance on a prior $375 million verdict, which it also intended to appeal.#facebook #instagram #meta #new_mexico #judge_bryan_biedscheid
