A court in New Mexico has mandated that Meta pay $567 million to a fund designed to mitigate mental health issues allegedly caused to children by its social media platforms. This decision follows a jury’s ruling in March, which determined that Meta had knowingly contributed to mental health harm among children and did not sufficiently address the issue of child sexual exploitation on its platforms. With this latest court order, Meta’s financial obligations in the case have escalated to a total of $942 million.
Out of the $567 million from the recent ruling, $420 million is allocated for mental health treatment services for young individuals in New Mexico. The remainder will be used to support prevention and awareness initiatives, screening services, and other related efforts over the next five years. Additionally, the court has mandated that Meta enhance child-safety protocols on Facebook and Instagram. This includes improving age-verification systems, offering more transparent information about safety and privacy features, and developing ways to identify users who may be younger than 13.
Meta is also required to collaborate with schools or child-safety organizations to establish a system for reporting accounts suspected of belonging to children under the age of 13. The company must delete any personal information collected from these users and submit biannual progress reports on its adherence to the court’s directives. However, the court did not impose a requirement for universal age verification solely in New Mexico, citing issues of fairness and existing federal privacy laws for children.
In response, Meta has rejected the court’s ruling and announced its intention to appeal. The company maintains that it is committed to user protection and has already implemented measures to tackle harmful content and address online safety concerns. This legal case adds to the mounting pressure on Meta, as similar lawsuits addressing the potential adverse effects of its platforms on young users are currently underway in other states across the United States.