A judge in New Mexico has ordered Meta to pay $567 million for failing to warn the public about the dangers its platforms posed to children. The ruling marks one of the company's biggest legal blows to minor safety issues.
Judge Bryan Biedscheid called Meta a “public nuisance,” comparing the impact of its platforms to the pollution caused by a factory. According to him, the psychological harm and cases of child sexual exploitation do not remain only within the platforms, but also create consequences in the real world, burdening families, schools, hospitals and law enforcement institutions.
The new ruling adds to the $375 million that Meta was ordered to pay earlier in the same process. In total, the company's financial liability amounts to $942 million.
Meta, the company that owns Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp and Threads, has stated that it disagrees with the decision and will appeal it.
"We disagree with the decision and will appeal," a company spokesperson stated, adding that Meta works for user safety and has been transparent about the difficulties in identifying and eliminating dangerous actors and harmful content.
The New Mexico case began with a lawsuit filed in 2023 by state authorities. Prosecutors argued that Meta's platforms exposed children to sexually explicit material and contact with suspected sexual predators.
In the first phase of the trial, the court found that Meta had repeatedly violated New Mexico's unfair practices laws. According to the court, the company's recommendation algorithms directed new users to harmful content and contacts.
In the second phase, Judge Biedscheid concluded that the harms caused by Meta's platforms were so widespread that they could be considered a "public nuisance," a legal concept related to risks that broadly affect the health and safety of the public.
In addition to the $567 million payment, the court has ordered Meta to implement a series of measures to protect users under the age of 18.
Among the measures ordered are:
Do not recommend accounts of users under 18 to adult users;
Prevent adults from sending messages to underage users;
Prohibit the sending and receiving of nudity content by users under 18 years of age;
Eliminate counting of “likes” for underage users;
Limit announcements during nighttime hours and during typical school hours;
Establish a usage limit of 90 hours per month on Instagram and Facebook for users under 18;
Implement stricter measures against adult users who engage in the sexual exploitation of children;
A significant portion of the fund generated by the fee will be used to address harms already caused, by funding behavioral health programs and professionals. Another portion will be used to train teachers and health professionals to identify and prevent harms related to social media use.
The decision comes as Meta faces thousands of lawsuits in the US over child safety on its platforms. Another important trial is expected to begin next week in California, where nearly three dozen US state attorneys general have filed lawsuits against the company, accusing it of violating laws protecting children's privacy.
