A New Mexico court has mandated that Meta contribute $567 million to a fund designed to mitigate the mental health impacts purportedly linked to its social media platforms on children. This decision follows a March jury finding that determined Meta had knowingly contributed to the deterioration of children’s mental health and had not sufficiently tackled child sexual exploitation on its platforms. The latest court order raises Meta’s total financial responsibility in this case to $942 million.
From the awarded sum, $420 million is earmarked for mental health treatment services specifically targeting young people in New Mexico. The remaining funds will be allocated towards prevention and awareness initiatives, screening services, and additional measures intended to be implemented over the next five years. In a move to enhance safety, the court has also instructed Meta to bolster child-protection measures on its platforms, Facebook and Instagram.
The company is required to enhance its age-assurance systems, offer clearer guidance on safety and privacy tools, and create measures to identify users who might be under 13 years of age. Additionally, Meta must collaborate with schools or child-safety organizations to develop a reporting system for accounts suspected to belong to children under age 13. The court order further demands that Meta delete any personal data collected from users under this age threshold and submit biannual progress reports on its adherence to these mandates.
While the court stopped short of imposing universal age verification solely within New Mexico, citing concerns about fairness and existing federal privacy protections for children, this case intensifies the legal scrutiny Meta faces over claims that its platforms adversely affect young users. Related lawsuits are ongoing in other states across the United States.
Meta has announced its intention to appeal the ruling, asserting that it is committed to user protection and has already taken steps to address harmful content and enhance online safety. This case adds to the mounting legal challenges confronting Meta regarding the allegations of its platforms’ detrimental effects on younger audiences.