- A New Mexico judge orders Meta to pay $567 million to a fund to repair the damage caused to children and teenagers.
- The ruling adds to another of 375 million, raising the total to 942 million, and is the largest against the company for child safety.
- The judge considers Meta a 'public nuisance' and orders measures such as prohibiting messages from adults to minors or limiting notifications.
- The company will appeal, while facing a trial in California with 29 states accusing it of designing addictive features for minors.
The legal pressure against Meta continues. A New Mexico court has issued a landmark ruling ordering Mark Zuckerberg's company to pay $567 million (approximately €491 million) to repair the damage its platforms have caused to children. While not the first fine the company has received for this reason, it is the largest to date, adding to a previous $375 million penalty, bringing the total to $942 million. Judge Bryan Biedscheid went further, describing Meta as a "public nuisance" and comparing its effects to those of air pollution.
The case, which began in 2023 with a lawsuit filed by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez, has highlighted how Facebook and Instagram's recommendation algorithms expose children to harmful and sexually predatory content. The ruling, in addition to the fine, imposes a series of corrective measures ranging from limiting usage time to prohibiting adults from contacting minors. Meanwhile, the company has already announced it will appeal and is preparing for another legal battle in California, where 29 states accuse it of designing addictive features for young people.
An unprecedented conviction for child safety
Judge Bryan Biedscheid of the Santa Fe District Court has ruled that Meta's platforms constitute a public nuisance because their purpose and effect are to maximize user interaction, even in ways that are detrimental to the health and safety of teenagers. In his ruling, he likens Meta to a factory whose product is advertising and content, and states that the psychological harm and sexual exploitation of children are the pollution that must be eradicated. This is the second phase of a civil case that had already concluded with an initial $375 million judgment, bringing the total to $942 million. The sentence is the largest ever imposed on the company for child safety issues and the first time a social network has been deemed a public nuisance.
The original lawsuit, filed by the New Mexico attorney general, alleged that Meta was responsible for endangering children by exposing them to sexually explicit material and contact with predators. The court found that the recommendation algorithms directed younger users toward harmful content and contacts. Meta has expressed its disagreement and announced it will appeal . In a statement, the company asserted that it strives to maintain user safety and has been transparent about the difficulties in identifying and removing malicious users.
Measures imposed by the judge
In addition to the fine, the judge has ordered the creation of a fund to mitigate the harm caused. The majority, $420 million , will be used to finance clinical and behavioral health programs and professionals for the treatment of affected minors. Another portion will go toward awareness and prevention training, including for teachers and healthcare professionals. Technical measures have also been imposed, such as ensuring that no account belonging to a user under 18 is recommended to an adult, prohibiting adults from sending messages to minors, and prohibiting minors from sending or receiving nude images. Furthermore, a one-warning policy is required for adult users who engage in child sexual exploitation.
These measures are in addition to those already established in the first phase of the case, such as time limits on usage, restrictions on notifications, and an improved system for verifying reports of child abuse. The ruling is considered an important precedent, as it is the first time a social media company has been held liable for public harm. Meanwhile, Meta faces thousands of lawsuits in the United States for similar reasons, and earlier this year it lost a case alongside Google with similar allegations.
The trial in California and Meta's legal future
A trial against Meta, brought by 29 states, led by California, Arizona, and Colorado, is scheduled to begin next week in California. The lawsuit, filed in 2023, accuses the company of deliberately designing addictive features on Instagram and Facebook for children and teenagers and concealing the risks. The trial, to be held in the Northern District of California, will begin with jury selection and could last six to eight weeks. The states allege that Meta violated the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and other regulations. This case comes after the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Meta's request to delay the proceedings.
Meta is the first of the major tech companies to face a lawsuit from this coalition of states, but it won't be the only one: Google, TikTok, and Snap also face similar accusations. The company has defended its record of protecting teenagers and announced that it will appeal both the New Mexico ruling and any adverse decisions in California. Meanwhile, the debate over social media regulation and its impact on children's mental health continues to gain momentum worldwide, with European countries like France, Denmark, and Portugal already banning access for minors, and the United Kingdom strengthening its age verification laws.
Nevertheless, convictions and lawsuits are piling up against Meta, and the company will face a complex legal landscape in the coming months. The New Mexico ruling, with its multimillion-dollar fund and corrective measures, sets a precedent that could influence other cases. Meanwhile, parents and authorities continue to demand greater protection for minors in the digital environment, and major platforms will have to adapt to an increasingly stringent regulatory framework.
