A court in the US state of New Mexico has ordered technology giant Meta to pay $567m to fund a fund for mitigating the adverse effects on mental health caused by its platforms. Judge Bryan Biedstein handed down the ruling on Thursday, concluding the second phase of the landmark trial against the company.
This ruling follows a jury finding in March that Meta was knowingly harming children’s mental health and concealing information about the sexual exploitation of minors on its platforms. The company had already been fined $375m, meaning the total amount Meta must now pay is $942m.
Judge Biedstein described Meta in his ruling as a “public nuisance” comparable to air pollution. He explained that Meta operates like a factory where its products are advertising and content, while the damage to children’s mental health is the pollution that needs to be addressed. This is the first time a US state has successfully sued Meta over online safety issues for children.
A representative for Meta stated that the company disagrees with the ruling and will appeal it. In a statement, they highlighted that they are making significant efforts to ensure user safety and that they are transparent about the challenges in detecting harmful actors and content. The company expressed confidence in its track record of protecting teenagers online.
Meta owns and operates the popular platforms Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp and Threads. This legal battle is part of a broader context in which the tech giant is facing thousands of lawsuits in the United States related to similar issues of user safety and protection.
