A New Mexico judge has imposed a $567 million penalty on Meta following the company’s loss in a child safety lawsuit. This additional financial sanction comes after a jury found the social media giant liable in March for deceiving consumers regarding platform safety and putting children at risk. Combined with the $375 million in penalties assessed earlier for violations of state consumer protection laws, Meta now faces a total financial obligation of approximately $942 million.
The newly ordered funds will establish a dedicated account to support mental health treatment for young people affected by Meta’s platforms, as well as finance prevention and awareness initiatives. State Attorney General Raúl Torrez stated that Meta had knowingly allowed its platforms to contribute to a youth mental health crisis while prioritizing profit over user safety. Judge Bryan Biedscheid determined that the company bore responsibility for fostering a teen mental health epidemic within the state.
Beyond financial penalties, the court has mandated specific operational changes. Meta must prevent accounts belonging to minors from being recommended to adults and block minors from engaging in romantic or sexual interactions with the company’s artificial intelligence chatbots. Meta’s communications leadership has indicated the company disagrees with the ruling and intends to pursue an appeal, while maintaining that it takes user protection seriously.
Originally reported by Mashable →
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