New Mexico Judge Orders Meta to Pay $567 Million in Child-Safety Case

A New Mexico judge has ordered Meta to pay an additional $567 million (£421 million) for failing to adequately warn the public about dangers its platforms posed to children, marking one of the largest penalties against the company in a child-safety case, Kali Hays reported for BBC News.

Meta's social media platforms are facing mounting legal scrutiny over allegations concerning children's safety and well-being. [Photo: Menlo Park]

Judge Bryan Biedscheid ruled that the social media company constituted a "public nuisance" and ordered the money to be placed in a fund intended to reduce future harms.

Thursday's ruling comes on top of $375 million in penalties Meta had already been ordered to pay in the case, bringing the total to $942 million.

Biedscheid compared Meta with a factory, describing its advertising and content as the product and the psychological harm and sexual exploitation of children as "the pollution that must be abated."

A Meta spokesperson said the company disagreed with the ruling and would appeal.

Meta owns and operates Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads.