US Court Slaps Meta With Fresh $567 Million Penalty Over Child Safety Failures
A court in the United States has imposed an additional $567 million penalty on Meta after finding that the company failed to adequately protect children from dangers linked to its social media platforms.
The latest judgment, delivered by a New Mexico court, pushes the total financial penalties against the technology giant in the case to $942 million, following an earlier award of $375 million.
Judge Bryan Biedscheid ruled that Meta’s handling of its platforms amounted to a public nuisance, likening the company to a factory whose harmful by-products affect the wider public.
According to the court, the psychological harm suffered by children and the risk of their sexual exploitation represent the “pollution” created by the company’s business model.
The judge directed that the newly awarded funds be placed into a dedicated programme designed to reduce future harm to children.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads, rejected the ruling and announced plans to challenge it on appeal.
In a statement, the company said it remained committed to protecting users, particularly teenagers, and argued that it had been open about the difficulties involved in detecting and removing harmful content and bad actors across its platforms.
Meta also maintained that the judgment does not accurately reflect the efforts it has made to improve online safety.
The lawsuit marks one of the most significant legal victories by a US state against Meta over concerns surrounding child protection.
The company is also defending thousands of similar lawsuits across the United States alleging that its platforms expose young users to harmful content and encourage addictive behaviour.
Earlier this year, Meta also suffered a major legal setback in Los Angeles after a court ruled that it could be held responsible for designing products that foster compulsive use.
Despite the size of the latest penalty, former Twitter Europe executive Bruce Daisley said the amount would have little financial impact on the company, noting that Meta generated about $61 billion in revenue between April and June this year.
He, however, described the ruling as another sign that governments and courts around the world are becoming more willing to hold major technology companies accountable for the effects of their platforms.
Former UK safeguarding minister Jess Phillips also suggested that successful legal action against big tech firms in the United States could encourage British authorities to pursue tougher regulatory measures without concerns over straining relations with Washington.
