A court in New Mexico has mandated that Meta pay $567 million into a designated fund to address the mental health issues purportedly inflicted on children by its social media platforms. This decision follows a jury’s finding in March that Meta was aware of and contributed to the detriment of children’s mental health while also failing to sufficiently tackle child sexual exploitation on its sites. The latest order brings Meta’s total financial obligation in this case to $942 million.
From the $567 million awarded in this ruling, $420 million will be allocated to mental health treatment services for young individuals in New Mexico. The remainder is set to finance prevention and awareness initiatives, screening services, and other related measures over a span of five years. Additionally, the court has instructed Meta to enhance child safety protocols on Facebook and Instagram, requiring improvements in age-verification systems, clearer communication about safety and privacy features, and the development of measures to detect users potentially under the age of 13.
Meta is also tasked with collaborating with schools or child-safety organizations to implement a reporting system for accounts suspected of being operated by children under 13. They are required to delete any personal information gathered from users below this age threshold and submit biannual progress reports on their adherence to the court’s directives. However, the court refrained from imposing a universal age verification requirement solely within New Mexico, citing concerns over equity and existing federal privacy protections for children.
Meta has responded by rejecting the ruling, announcing plans to appeal. The company insists that it is committed to user protection and has already undertaken steps to address harmful content and online safety issues. This case contributes to the mounting legal challenges Meta faces over claims that its platforms may have detrimental effects on young users, with similar lawsuits underway in various other US states.