In brief
A New Mexico judge has ordered Meta to pay $567 million for not safeguarding children on its platforms, the largest fine ever issued for child safety. The court describes Meta as a public nuisance, akin to air pollution, and demands the money be funneled into treatment and prevention programs. Meta has said it will appeal, while regulators in the UK, EU and US press for stricter age‑guarding measures. The verdict follows a series of lawsuits and hints at a broader crackdown on social‑media addiction and exposure to harmful content.
A New Mexico judge has branded Meta a "public nuisance" and fined the social‑media giant $567 million for failing to warn the public that its platforms pose serious risks to children. This judgment adds to the $375 million that St. Thomas College previously won, bringing Meta’s total liability to $942 million.
Judge Bryan Biedscheid compared the company’s recommendation algorithms to factories that create harmful air pollution. He ordered Meta to establish a fund that will finance behavioral‑health treatments, teacher training, and other prevention measures for children who have already been harmed. The judge also demanded that Meta ban under‑18 accounts from sending or receiving nudity, eliminate ‘like’ counts for minors, and impose strict time limits on platform use.
Meta’s spokesperson said the company would appeal the ruling, arguing it has "worked hard to keep people safe" and remains confident that its record in protecting teens is solid. Yet the case highlights the growing scrutiny of how recommendation engines channel teenagers toward potentially harmful content.
The fine is significant financially but may be described as a "drop in the ocean" by industry insiders because Meta’s 2025 revenue topped $61 bn. The verdict, however, underscores rising legal pressure: Meta already faces thousands of lawsuits in the United States, and a California trial is slated to begin next week with around 40 state attorneys general suing the company over child‑privacy violations.
European and UK regulators are also tightening age‑guarding rules, with the UK proposing stricter curfews for older teens and full bans for under‑16 users. The combination of state‑level lawsuits, federal cases, and international policy shifts suggests a new era of digital‑age protection that could reshape how platforms manage young audiences.
For further analysis, see the related coverage on BBC News: Meta told to pay $375m for misleading users over child safety, and the earlier Los Angeles case that found the company could be liable for building addictive platforms.
