Meta ordered to pay U.S. state $567 million to abate 'public nuisance' and child harm
A New Mexico judge has ordered Meta to pay $567 million to address claims that the company's platforms harmed children and created a public nuisance. The ruling follows a jury finding that Meta misled consumers about safety and failed to protect minors from online predators.
Why it matters
This significant financial penalty sets a legal precedent for holding social media giants accountable for the mental health and safety impacts of their algorithms on minors.
A New Mexico judge on Thursday ordered Meta to pay more than half a billion dollars over the state's claims that the social media giant created a "public nuisance" and harmed children.
Meta was previously ordered to pay $375 million in damages to New Mexico in March when a jury found the company liable for endangering children by making them vulnerable to predators on its platforms, among other harms.
"We disagree with the ruling and will appeal," Meta told AFP in a statement Thursday.
"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," the tech giant added.
New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez sued Meta, which makes Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, in 2023, alleging the company failed to protect children from online dangers.
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