A court in New Mexico has mandated that Meta pay $567 million into a fund designed to address the mental health issues allegedly exacerbated by its social media platforms among children. This decision follows a March jury verdict which concluded that Meta was aware of the harm its platforms caused to children’s mental health and did not do enough to combat child sexual exploitation online. With this recent judgment, Meta’s total financial obligation in the case has ballooned to $942 million.
Out of the $567 million awarded, $420 million is earmarked for mental health treatment services for young individuals in New Mexico. The remainder is set to fund prevention and awareness initiatives, screening services, and additional measures over the next five years. Furthermore, the court has ordered Meta to enhance child-safety protocols on both Facebook and Instagram. This includes improving age-verification systems, providing clearer safety and privacy information, and devising strategies to identify users who might be under the age of 13.
The court’s orders extend to requiring Meta to collaborate with schools or child-safety organizations to establish a system for reporting accounts that may belong to children under 13. The company is also required to delete personal data gathered from users under this age threshold and must submit biannual progress reports detailing its adherence to the court’s directives. However, the court stopped short of mandating universal age verification solely in New Mexico, due to worries about fairness and existing federal privacy protections for children.
Meta has contested the ruling and announced plans to appeal. The company insists that it is committed to protecting users and has implemented measures to address harmful content and online safety concerns. This case is part of a broader wave of legal challenges facing Meta, as other lawsuits with similar accusations of harm to young users are being pursued in different U.S. states.