Meta Hit With $567 Million Fine Over Child Safety

A judge in New Mexico has ordered social media giant Meta to pay an additional $567 million (£421 million) after failing to warn the public about risks its applications pose to children.

The decision marks the largest judgment against the company over child safety issues to date, adding to a prior $375 million penalty handed down by a jury in March for a total financial liability of $942 million (£700 million).

Judge Brands Meta a Public Nuisance

Judge Bryan Biedscheid characterized the Instagram and Facebook parent company as a "public nuisance" akin to industrial pollution, comparing the firm to a factory whose output creates harm that must be actively cleaned up.

The court outlined a specific allocation plan for the newly mandated $567 million fund over the next five years:

Allocation Category	Amount	Primary Objective
Youth Treatment Services	$420 million (£312 million)	Direct care and medical support for impacted young people
Prevention & Screening	$147 million (£109 million)	Awareness campaigns, early screening services, and administrative costs

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez welcomed the outcome, calling it "a victory for every parent who has worried about what social media is doing to their child and every child who deserves to grow up safer online".

Mandatory Platform Changes and Age Assurance Rules

Beyond the financial remedies, the ruling requires Meta to implement specific structural updates across Facebook and Instagram within New Mexico, subject to state oversight:

Platform Banners: Clearly display informational banners highlighting safety controls, best practices, and options for handling inappropriate interaction.
AI Prediction Models: Develop a dedicated AI system within two years designed to identify users who are under 13.
Account Controls: Treat unverified users estimated to be under 13, or under 18 with uncertain age markers, as minors until valid verification is submitted.
School Reporting Portals: Partner with educational institutions and youth safety groups to let school staff flag suspected underage profiles.
Data Deletion: Wipe stored personal details gathered from users identified as under 13.

Because federal regulations under the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act prevent forcing under-13s to upload personal data, the court declined to mandate hard age verification for Meta alone, calling such an isolated requirement "inequitable and unduly injurious".

Meta Vows To Appeal

Meta strongly rejected the outcome and confirmed plans to fight the penalty in court.

"We disagree with the ruling and will appeal," a Meta spokesperson stated, adding:

"We work hard to keep people safe on our platforms and have been transparent about the challenges of identifying and removing bad actors and harmful content. We remain confident in our record of protecting teens online and will continue to defend ourselves against claims that misrepresent the facts."

While the $942 million penalty represents a tiny slice of Meta's nearly $60 billion annual profits, the company faces growing courtroom pressure nationwide. Thousands of family lawsuits remain pending, a federal multi-district trial brought by 29 states kicks off in Oakland, California later this month, and several states continue individual trials over platform addictiveness and harm to young people’s mental health.