A court in New Mexico has mandated Meta to contribute $567 million to a fund that aims to mitigate the adverse mental health effects allegedly inflicted on children by its social media platforms. This decision comes on the heels of a jury verdict in March, which concluded that Meta knowingly played a role in harming children’s mental health and did not sufficiently combat child sexual exploitation across its platforms. With this recent ruling, the total financial obligation for Meta in this case has escalated to $942 million.
The latest judgment specifies that $420 million of the awarded amount will be allocated to mental health treatment services for young individuals in New Mexico. The remaining funds are designated for preventive measures, awareness programs, and screening services, set to be implemented over the next five years. Besides the financial penalties, the court has instructed Meta to enhance child safety protocols on both Facebook and Instagram. The company is required to improve its age-assurance systems, offer clearer guidance on safety and privacy features, and develop methods to identify users who may be under the age of 13.
Additionally, Meta is tasked with collaborating with schools or child-safety organizations to develop a system for reporting accounts suspected to belong to children under 13. This includes the obligation to delete personal information gathered from users within this age group and to submit biannual progress reports regarding its adherence to the court’s directives. However, the court refrained from enforcing a universal age verification requirement solely within New Mexico, expressing concerns about fairness and existing federal privacy laws for children.
Meta, however, has expressed its disagreement with the ruling and announced its intention to appeal. The company asserts that it is committed to user protection and has already implemented measures to tackle harmful content and online safety issues. This case is part of a broader legal challenge facing Meta, as similar lawsuits are underway in other states across the United States, all questioning the potential harmful impact of its platforms on young users.