A US court in New Mexico has ordered Meta to pay an additional $567 million (£421 million) for failing to warn the public about the risks its platforms pose to children, marking the largest fine levied against the tech firm for youth safety failures, as reported by the BBC.
Presiding Judge Bryan Biedscheid labelled the company a “public nuisance” akin to environmental degradation, directing that the financial penalty be placed into a targeted remediation fund. This judgment adds to a previous $375 million fine in the same litigation, taking Meta’s total financial liability in the case to $942 million.
Comparing Meta to an industrial facility whose advertising and content serve as products, Judge Biedscheid wrote that “the psychological harm and sexual exploitation of children to be the pollution that must be abated.”
Rejecting the verdict, a Meta spokesperson stated, “We disagree with the ruling and will appeal.”
Defending its youth protection efforts, the company added: “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,” continuing that, “We remain confident in our record of protecting teens online and will continue to defend ourselves against claims that misrepresent the facts.”
The legal action originated from a 2023 lawsuit by state prosecutors asserting that Meta’s algorithms “steered” minors toward explicit content and predatory contacts, violating the state’s Unfair Practices Act.
In his ruling, Judge Biedscheid noted that the “harmful effects” of Meta’s apps parallel “noxious pollution produced by the factory can harm the common public right to reasonably clean air.” He warned that these dangers “migrate to the internet as a whole and, perhaps most concerning, to the real world,” creating “a common, societal burden on and harm to the affected children and their families,” alongside strain on police, hospitals, and educational institutions.
To address “the wide-ranging impacts of the harm,” $420 million from the fund will directly finance “appropriate clinical or other behavioral health programs and professionals,” with remaining funds allocated to prevention and awareness training for educators and medical personnel.
The court also mandated operational changes on Meta’s platforms, including:
Restricting adults from messaging or receiving recommendations for under-18 accounts.
Banning minors from sending or receiving nude media.
Enforcing a “1-strike policy for adult users who engage in child sexual exploitation.”
Removing publicly visible “like” counts for users under 18.
Blocking push notifications for minors between 10:00 PM and 7:00 AM daily, and during school hours (8:00 AM to 3:00 PM) on weekdays.
Restricting minor usage on Instagram and Facebook to a mandatory cap of 90 cumulative hours per month or three hours a day.
Discussing the ruling’s broader implications on BBC Radio 4’s Today program, former Twitter vice president Bruce Daisley observed that while the fine might seem “a drop in the ocean” against Meta’s $61 billion quarterly revenue, “But it’s an indication that we are moving to a stage where social media is going to be tackled around the world.” Former UK safeguarding minister Jess Phillips further noted that US court victories allow foreign governments to pursue stricter legislation, including proposed “curfews” and under-16 access limits, without damaging diplomatic ties with the USA.
This ruling arrives amidst mounting global pressure on big tech. Meta has faced defeat in other landmark US trials, including a Los Angeles lawsuit holding it accountable for algorithmic platform addiction, while countries like Australia have introduced sweeping legislation banning under-16s from social media, with similar restrictions advancing across Malaysia, Denmark, and the UK.
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