Topline<\/p>\n
A judge in New Mexico ordered Facebook and Instagram\u2019s parent company Meta to pay a total of $942 million in fines for creating a \u201cpublic nuisance\u201d over its handling of child safety on its social media platforms and being a \u201csignificant\u201d contributor to the state\u2019s teen mental health crisis.<\/p>\n
Meta has been ordered to pay a total of $942 million in fines in the New Mexico child safety case.<\/p>\n
Getty ImagesKey Facts<\/p>\n
The ruling<\/a> by a Santa Fe state court judge orders Meta to pay $567 million into an abatement fund to help pay for awareness and prevention measures, better screening and treatment of those who have been harmed by the platform.<\/p>\n The payment towards the fund is in addition to $375 million in civil penalties against the company previously ordered by a jury in the case\u2014bringing the total penalty amount to $942 million.<\/p>\n The judge\u2019s 68-page ruling noted that Meta implemented platform features designed to \u201coptimize engagement\u201d and are \u201charmful to teenagers,\u201d and it failed to \u201cadequately\u201d communicate the risk to its users.<\/p>\n The judge said that based on the evidence provided, the court finds Meta\u2019s platforms are \u201ca cause of and have substantially contributed to a public nuisance in New Mexico.\u201d<\/p>\n Meta\u2019s shares were largely flat in premarket trading on Monday, down around 0.33% to $587.94.<\/p>\n Crucial Quote<\/p>\n The ruling<\/a> compared Meta to a polluting factory and said: \u201cthe Court finds and concludes that, just 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 and, instead, migrate 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 What Has New Mexico\u2019s Attorney General Said About The Ruling?<\/p>\n After the ruling, the state\u2019s Attorney General Raul Torrez issued a statement saying<\/a>: \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. Today\u2019s decision is 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.\u201d<\/p>\n How Has Meta Responded?<\/p>\n