Meta Hit with Staggering $567M Fine in Landmark Child Safety Ruling

A New Mexico court has ordered Meta to pay a substantial fine totaling $942 million, comprising an initial $375 million levied in March and an additional $567 million imposed in a recent ruling. This significant judgment stems from a case concerning social media harms and addiction, particularly affecting children and young people in the state.

Beyond the financial penalties, the court has mandated specific operational changes for Meta's platforms within New Mexico. These include the removal of 'Like' counts, which can now only be displayed to children under 18 with explicit parental or guardian approval. Furthermore, push notifications for underage users in the state must be paused between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., and their total platform usage is to be capped at 90 hours per month, equating to approximately three hours daily.

The judge underscored the severe consequences of Meta's products, stating that "significant numbers of people in New Mexico experience harm from Meta’s products due to risks of sexual exploitation, interference with education, and adverse mental health outcomes." While acknowledging that Meta is not the sole contributor to the youth mental health crisis, the court affirmed its significant role and declared that the company has created a "public nuisance" that it is now required to abate.

In response to the ruling, Meta has announced its intention to appeal the judgment. Company spokesperson Andy Stone asserted, "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. We remain confident in our record of protecting teens online and will continue to defend ourselves against claims that misrepresent the facts."

Conversely, New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez lauded the decision, stating, "For years, Meta knew its platforms were harming New Mexico’s kids, from feeding a youth mental health crisis to connecting predators with children, and it chose engagement and profit over their safety. Today, Meta is paying for that choice." He emphasized that the judgment holds Meta accountable for the damage caused and mandates real changes to its operations in New Mexico.

This ruling is not an isolated incident for Meta. It follows another court loss in Los Angeles in March, where the company was also found responsible for creating addictive patterns. Meta is currently confronting numerous other legal challenges across the United States, including a consolidated joint lawsuit by 33 states in an Oakland, California federal court, alongside individual cases brought by states like Tennessee.