Meta ordered to pay US$567 million for child safety harms in New Mexico
Xinhua · 2 SOURCESabout 8 hours ago1 MIN
Summary
A New Mexico judge has ordered Meta to pay US$567 million in damages for creating a "public nuisance" and harming children through its social media platforms. The ruling came on Thursday in the second phase of a landmark trial, following a March jury verdict that found Meta liable for endangering children .
Key Points
- New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez sued Meta in 2023 over failures to protect children from online dangers on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp .
- In March, a jury found Meta violated the state's Unfair Practices Act by misleading consumers about child safety and ordered US$375 million in damages .
- The new US$567 million award brings total damages to over half a billion dollars, with around 75% allocated to mental health treatment over five years .
- Prosecutor Linda Singer argued Meta's algorithms directed adults toward teenage users' content while the company concealed internal risk findings .
- Meta stated it "disagrees with the ruling and will appeal," adding it has been transparent about challenges in removing harmful content .
Why It Matters
This landmark case represents one of the largest financial penalties against a tech giant for child safety failures, potentially setting precedent for how U.S. states hold social media companies accountable for algorithmic harms to young users .
This landmark case represents one of the largest financial penalties against a tech giant for child safety failures, potentially setting precedent for how U.S. states hold social media companies accountable for algorithmic harms to young users .