Meta ordered to pay another $567 million in child safety case, total penalty reaches $942 million

A New Mexico court has ordered Meta to pay an additional $567 million over allegations that its platforms failed to protect children, while also mandating new safety measures for young users.

Meta has been ordered to pay another $567 million (around Rs 5,400 crore) by a New Mexico judge over allegations that its platforms exposed children to harmful content and failed to do enough to protect young users. The latest order comes after a $375 million civil penalty imposed in March in the same case, taking Meta's total financial liability in New Mexico to $942 million (about Rs 8,970 crore). The company, which owns Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp and Threads, has rejected the ruling and said it will appeal.

Why Meta has been fined

The case began with allegations that Meta's platforms exposed children to sexually explicit material, allowed contact between young users and sexual predators, and contributed to mental health problems and excessive social media use. The court had earlier found that Meta's recommendation systems could direct young users towards harmful content and contacts.

In the latest ruling, Judge Bryan Biedscheid described Meta as a "public nuisance", comparing the harm caused by its platforms to the kind of damage caused by pollution from a factory. The judge said significant numbers of people in New Mexico had experienced harm linked to Meta's products, including sexual exploitation, disruption to education and mental health issues.

The court also acknowledged that Meta is not the only company contributing to concerns around children and social media. However, the judge said Meta's platforms played a significant role and that the company needed to take steps to reduce the harm caused in the state.

Changes ordered for Instagram and Facebook

Along with the financial penalty, Meta has been ordered to make several changes to how its platforms work for younger users in New Mexico. The company will have to remove Like counts for children under 18, unless they have approval from a parent or guardian to see those metrics.

Push notifications for underage users will also have to be paused between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. The order further limits usage of Meta's platforms by minors to 90 hours a month, which works out to roughly three hours a day.

The court has also ordered measures aimed at reducing interactions between adults and underage users, along with stronger safeguards against child sexual exploitation. A fund created through the $567 million penalty will be used to address the damage caused and prevent similar harm in the future. According to the ruling, $420 million of the amount will go towards treatment and behavioural-health programmes, while other funds will support prevention and training for teachers and health professionals.

Meta plans to appeal

Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said the company disagrees with the ruling and remains confident about its record of protecting teenagers online. He said the company works to keep people safe on its platforms and has been transparent about the challenges involved in identifying and removing bad actors and harmful content.

New Mexico Attorney General Ra l Torrez, however, said Meta knew for years that its platforms were causing harm to children in the state and chose engagement and profit over their safety. He said the latest judgment holds the company accountable and forces changes to how Meta operates in New Mexico.

The ruling comes shortly after Meta lost another case in Los Angeles in March, where a jury found the company and Google liable over the design of platforms that were alleged to encourage addictive use.

Meta faces child safety scrutiny in India

The latest US ruling also comes as Meta faces scrutiny over child safety in India. In July, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) asked Instagram to disable advertisements and content promoting or facilitating access to child sexual abuse material after reports that such material had appeared in paid advertisements on the platform. The ministry also sought an explanation from Meta.

Meta later acknowledged reports of Instagram advertisements in India that violated its policies on child exploitation. The company said it had identified and removed some of the advertisements and accounts, while a further investigation resulted in additional removals and blocked URLs.

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