A judge in the US state of New Mexico has ordered Meta to pay a $567 million (£421 million) over allegations that the company failed to adequately warn the public about risks its social media platforms posed to children.
The latest ruling by Judge Bryan Biedscheid brings the penalties against Meta in the case to $942 million following an earlier $375 million award. The judge directed that the additional funds be placed into a programme aimed at reducing harm to children.
In his ruling Judge Bryan Biedscheid described Meta as a ” nuisance,” comparing the companys platforms to a factory where advertising and content generate profit while “psychological harm and sexual exploitation of children” represent the pollution that must be addressed.
Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads said it disagrees with the ruling and intends to appeal.
In a statement the company said it works to keep users safe across its platforms and has been transparent about the challenges of identifying and removing content and bad actors. Meta added that it remains confident in its efforts to protect teenagers online and believes the courts findings misrepresent the facts.
The case marked the time a US state successfully sued Meta over child safety concerns. The technology company is also facing thousands of lawsuits across the United States and earlier this year lost a separate landmark case in Los Angeles that found it could be held liable for creating addictive online platforms.
Twitter (now X) Europe Vice President Bruce Daisley told BBC Radio 4s Today programme that while the fine is significant it represents only a small fraction of Metas financial strength. The company recently reported $61 billion in revenue between April and June a 28 per cent increase compared with the period last year.
Daisley said the ruling could signal growing efforts to hold social media companies accountable for online safety while former UK safeguarding minister Jess Phillips suggested the case may encourage tougher regulatory action, in the United Kingdom.
