Meta hit with record $567m child safety fine
A US judge in New Mexico has ordered Meta to pay $567 million over allegations that its social media platforms failed to adequately protect children from harmful content and online risks.
The ruling is the largest penalty Meta has faced in a child safety case. It brings the total amount the company has been ordered to pay in the New Mexico case to $942 million, including an earlier $375 million penalty.
Judge Bryan Biedscheid ruled that Meta’s platforms had created harms serious enough to be considered a “public nuisance”. He compared the company’s operations to a factory, saying harmful effects on children spread beyond the platforms and affect families, schools, healthcare providers and law enforcement.
The judge ordered the money to be placed in a fund designed to address the impact of social media-related harm on children.
A large portion of the fund, about $420 million, will support clinical and behavioural health programmes for people affected by such harms. Additional funding will be used for awareness and prevention programmes, including training for teachers and healthcare professionals.
The court also imposed a series of measures aimed at strengthening protections for users under 18.
Meta will be required to prevent adult users from messaging minors and stop accounts belonging to users under 18 from being recommended to adults. The company must also restrict the sending and receiving of nude material by underage users.
The ruling further requires Meta to adopt a strict policy against adult users involved in child sexual exploitation.
Other restrictions include removing “like” counts for users under 18 and limiting push notifications during overnight hours. Notifications will also be restricted during normal school hours on school days.
The court additionally ordered a monthly usage limit of 90 hours across Instagram and Facebook for users under 18.
Meta, which operates Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp and Threads, rejected the ruling and said it would appeal.
The company said it works to protect users and has been transparent about the challenges of detecting harmful content and malicious actors. Meta also maintained that the ruling does not accurately reflect its efforts to protect teenagers online.
The New Mexico case began with a lawsuit filed by state authorities in 2023. Prosecutors argued that Meta’s platforms exposed children to harmful material and enabled contact with sexual predators.
During the earlier stage of the case, Meta was found to have violated New Mexico’s consumer protection law. The court determined that its recommendation systems could direct young users towards harmful content and potentially dangerous contacts.
Meta is facing thousands of similar lawsuits across the United States. Nearly three dozen state attorneys general are also pursuing claims involving the company’s treatment of children and their privacy.
