New Mexico Court Orders Meta to Pay Additional $567M
A New Mexico court ordered Meta to pay an additional $567 million in a child safety case.
"Another massive fine for Meta! Regulators are cracking down on child safety, forcing big changes to how platforms operate. Time to pay attention, tech giants!"
A New Mexico court has ordered Meta to pay an additional $567 million in a child safety case, bringing the total fine in this case to $942 million. This ruling follows a previous $375 million levy in March. The court also mandated an overhaul of Facebook and Instagram for teens in the state, citing that Meta created a "public nuisance" by harming children's mental health.
Specific changes ordered include capping under-18 use at 90 hours a month, which amounts to roughly three hours per day. The court also barred AI chatbots for this age group and ordered the pausing of push notifications for underaged users between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. Additionally, the court ordered the removal of Like counts, with such metrics only to be shown to children under 18 with parental or guardian approval.
Meta has stated its intention to appeal the judgment, asserting its commitment to keeping people safe on its platforms and its record of protecting teens online. New Mexico's Attorney General, Raúl Torrez, stated that the judgment holds Meta accountable for the damage caused to children, families, and schools, and forces changes to how Meta operates in New Mexico.
This significant fine and mandated platform changes highlight increasing regulatory pressure on social media companies regarding youth safety and mental health. Businesses operating online, especially those with younger user bases, must closely monitor and adapt to evolving legal and ethical standards to avoid similar penalties and reputational damage.
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