Meta fined $567M over harms to children's mental health
What's the story
A US judge has ordered social media giant Meta to pay $567 million for failing to warn the public about the dangers its platforms pose to children. The ruling is the largest against Meta over child safety and comes on top of an earlier $375 million fine, bringing the total penalty to a whopping $942 million.
Comparison
Meta likened to a 'public nuisance'
Judge Bryan Biedscheid, who presided over the case in New Mexico, likened Meta to a "public nuisance" similar to air pollution.
He said the company should deposit the money in a fund aimed at reducing future harms.
The judge drew an analogy between Meta and a factory with advertising and content as its product but "the psychological harm and sexual exploitation of children to be the pollution that must be abated."
Appeal
Meta to appeal ruling
Responding to the ruling, a Meta spokesperson said, "We disagree with the ruling and will appeal."
The company has also been facing thousands of lawsuits in the US over similar issues. Earlier this year, Meta lost a similar case in Los Angeles.
The New Mexico case stems from a 2023 lawsuit by state attorneys arguing that Meta should be held responsible for endangering children on its platforms.
Algorithm scrutiny
First phase of trial
In the first phase of the trial, Meta was found to have repeatedly violated New Mexico's Unfair Practices Act.
The judge ruled that its recommendation algorithms effectively "steered" young users toward harmful content and contacts.
These are the tools used by Meta to automatically curate what a user sees on its platforms.
Fund creation
Fund for treatment, awareness, and prevention
The judge has ordered Meta to create a fund that will be used to pay for efforts to mitigate "the wide-ranging impacts of the harm."
Most of the money, $420 million, will go toward treating harms caused by Meta's platforms through funding "appropriate clinical or other behavioral health programs and professionals," according to the order.
The rest will be used for awareness and prevention, screening services, and other costs over the next five years.