Photo: IMEN BEN YOUSSEF / AFP / Getty Images
A New Mexico court has ordered Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, to pay $567 million into a fund designed to address the mental health impacts of its platforms on children. The ruling, issued on Thursday (August 6), is part of the second phase of a landmark trial that initially found Meta liable for knowingly harming children's mental health and concealing information about child sexual exploitation on its platforms.
Judge Bryan Biedscheid stated that the majority of the funds—$420 million—will be allocated to treatment services for young people in New Mexico, with the remainder supporting awareness, prevention, and screening services over the next five years. The total amount Meta is responsible for, including a previous $375 million fine, now stands at $942 million.
The court also mandated several changes to Meta's operations. These include improving age verification tools, developing an "under-13-years-of-age prediction model," and creating a reporting portal for schools to flag underage users. Furthermore, Meta must implement measures to prevent adults from messaging minors and restrict the sharing of inappropriate content.
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez praised the decision, stating, "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." Despite the ruling, Meta plans to appeal, arguing that the decision misrepresents the facts and undermines their efforts to protect teens online.
This ruling is part of a broader legal challenge facing Meta, as the company contends with numerous lawsuits across the United States over its alleged harms to young people. A trial in California is set to begin next week, involving nearly three dozen states suing Meta for violating child privacy laws.