The tech giant behind Instagram and Facebook has been hit with a massive half a billion dollar fine over creating a \u201cpublic nuisance\u201d and failing to protect minors online.<\/p>\n
A US court in New Mexico has ordered Meta to pay a whopping US$567 (approximately AU$802m) over child-safety failures. <\/p>\n
Meta owns and operates some of the biggest social media platforms including Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp. <\/p>\n
New Mexico judge Bryan Biedscheid handed down the ruling on Thursday (local time) saying the social media giant had created a \u201cpublic nuisance\u201d that put young users at risk. <\/p>\n
The money that it has been ordered to pay would be used to manage the harm that it has already caused, as well as aimed at reducing future harms, according to AFP reports. <\/p>\n
Judge Biedscheid said the \u201charmful effects\u201d of the platforms on children were similar to those of air pollution. <\/p>\n
\u201cJust as noxious pollution produced by the factory can harm the common public right to reasonably clean air, the harmful effects of Meta\u2019s platforms on children do not stay contained by its platforms,\u201d the judge said. <\/p>\n
These harmful effects, he said, \u201cmigrate to the internet as a whole and, perhaps most concerning, to the real world and create a common, societal burden on and harm to the affected children and their families and schools, as well as hospitals and law enforcement\u201d. <\/p>\n
A Meta spokesperson told ABC News, they did not agree with the verdict and intended to appeal. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe 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,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe remain confident in our record of protecting teens online and will continue to defend ourselves against claims that misrepresent the facts.\u201d<\/p>\n
The money that Meta has been ordered to pay over a 5-year period will be used to reduce the harm including a US$420 fund towards managing the harms that have already been caused via health programs. <\/p>\n
The rest will be used to raise awareness, train and prevent further harm by training teachers, health practitioners around social media harms against children. <\/p>\n
In addition to the fine, Meta must ban underage accounts from sending or receiving nude content, enforce a \u201c1-strike policy\u201d for adults engaging in child sexual exploitation, remove like counts for minors, block push notifications at certain times, and limit under-18 usage to three hours daily (90 hours monthly) on Instagram and Facebook.<\/p>\n
Meta was previously hit with US$375m (roughly AU$530) in penalties following a child-safety trial where a jury found its platforms endangered young people by exposing them to sexual content and contact with predators. <\/p>\n
New Mexico Attorney General, Raul Torrez who brought this case against Meta in 2023, said the latest ruling was a \u201cvictory 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. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis case has always been about protecting children, standing up for families, and making sure that one of the world\u2019s largest technology companies cannot profit from practices that endanger young people without consequence,\u201d Mr Torrez said in a statement. <\/p>\n
Along with Thursday\u2019s ruling, Meta\u2019s total penalties have amounted to US$942 (roughly AU$1.33 billion). <\/p>\n
Meta is still facing a series of other legal battles, as more than 30 US states are suing the company over allegations related to child safety and youth mental health. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The tech giant behind Instagram and Facebook has been hit with a massive half a billion dollar 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