A New Mexico court has mandated that Meta contribute $567 million to a fund designed to mitigate the alleged mental health impacts on children attributed to its social media platforms. This ruling comes in the wake of a jury decision in March that determined Meta knowingly exacerbated mental health issues among children and inadequately tackled child sexual exploitation on its platforms. This latest financial obligation brings Meta’s total liability in this case to $942 million.
Out of the $567 million specified in the court order, $420 million is allocated for mental health treatment services for young people across New Mexico. The remaining funds are earmarked for prevention and awareness initiatives, screening services, and other related measures over the next five years. Additionally, the court has directed Meta to enhance child-safety protocols on both Facebook and Instagram. These improvements include bolstering age-assurance systems, offering clearer guidance on safety and privacy tools, and developing methods to identify users who might be under the age of 13.
The court’s directive also requires Meta to collaborate with schools or child-safety organizations to establish a system for reporting accounts suspected to belong to children under 13. Furthermore, Meta must eliminate any personal information collected from users under this age and submit biannual progress reports on its adherence to the court’s mandates. However, the court stopped short of imposing universal age verification solely within New Mexico, citing fairness and existing federal child privacy protections as concerns.
Meta has opposed the court’s ruling and announced plans to appeal, asserting that it is committed to user protection and has implemented measures to combat harmful content and enhance online safety. This case contributes to the mounting legal scrutiny Meta faces over accusations that its platforms may have detrimental effects on young users. Similar legal challenges are underway in various other U.S. states.