Meta ordered to pay $567mn for harming children’s mental health
A court in New Mexico has mandated that Meta contribute an extra $567 million to a fund designed to address the negative effects of Facebook and Instagram on the mental health of youth. The decision also compels the business to implement extensive new child safety regulations.
Meta has been ordered by a New Mexico court to pay an additional $567 million to fund programmes addressing the impact of its social media platforms on children’s mental health, marking another major legal setback for the technology giant.
Judge Bryan Biedscheid ruled that the bulk of the fine, totalling $420 million, should be used for treatment services for young people. The remaining funds will support prevention campaigns, mental health screening and public awareness initiatives over the next five years.
«Today’s decision is a victory for every parent who has worried about what social media is doing to their child and every child who deserves to grow up safer online,» New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez said in a statement.
Meta said it disagrees with the ruling and plans to appeal. «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,» a company spokesperson commented.
The decision follows a landmark jury verdict in March, which found the company had violated New Mexico’s consumer protection laws by misleading users about the safety of Facebook and Instagram and by failing to adequately protect children from harmful content and online sexual exploitation. Judges had already imposed $375 million in civil penalties, bringing Meta’s total liability in the case to $942 million.
Court orders platform changes
The court also ordered Meta to introduce a series of measures designed to make Facebook and Instagram safer for children and teenagers.
Among the changes, the company must improve its age assurance systems using artificial intelligence, create clearer information for users about online safety tools and provide schools with a dedicated system for reporting underage users. The ruling also requires Meta to remove data collected from users under the age of 13 and submit regular compliance reports to the court.
The ruling comes as Meta faces a growing number of similar lawsuits across the United States from states, school districts and private plaintiffs seeking damages over the effects of social media on children’s mental health.
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