Meta fined $567m in largest child safety ruling against social media giant
A New Mexico judge ordered the Instagram, Facebook and Whatsapp parent company to pay another $567m for the way it has harmed children.
A US judge in New Mexico has mandated that Meta pay an additional $567 million (£421 million) for failing to adequately caution the public about the risks its platforms present to children. This represents the most substantial judgment against the social media company concerning child safety.
Judge Bryan Biedscheid issued the order on Thursday, characterizing the social media behemoth as a "public nuisance" comparable to air pollution. He stipulated that the funds must be allocated to a fund designed to mitigate future harms. This latest ruling supplements the $375 million in penalties Meta was previously instructed to pay in the same case.
Judge Biedscheid drew a parallel between Meta and a factory, identifying advertising and content as its output, and "the psychological harm and sexual exploitation of children to be the pollution that must be abated."
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's company has been grappling with a growing number of lawsuits related to child safety.
The BBC has reached out to Meta, the parent company of Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and Threads, for a statement. Following the earlier $375 million verdict in the case, Meta had indicated its intention to appeal the decision.