A New Mexico court has mandated that Meta contribute $567 million to a fund designed to mitigate the mental health impacts allegedly inflicted on children by its social media platforms. This court decision follows a March jury verdict which concluded that Meta knowingly played a role in harming children’s mental health and inadequately tackled the issue of child sexual exploitation on its platforms. With this recent order, Meta’s total financial obligations in the case have escalated to $942 million.
From the $567 million stipulated in the latest ruling, $420 million is earmarked to finance mental health treatment services for the youth in New Mexico. The remaining funds are allocated to support programs focused on prevention, awareness, screening services, and other initiatives over the coming five years. Additionally, the court has directed Meta to enhance its child-safety protocols on both Facebook and Instagram.
Meta is required to upgrade its age-assurance systems, offer clearer information about its safety and privacy tools, and devise methods to identify users who might be under the age of 13. Furthermore, the company is tasked with collaborating with schools or child-safety organizations to develop a mechanism for reporting accounts suspected to belong to children under 13. Meta must also erase personal data collected from users under that age and submit progress reports biannually on its adherence to the court’s directives.
While the court stopped short of imposing universal age verification solely in New Mexico due to concerns over fairness and current federal privacy protections for children, Meta has expressed its disagreement with the ruling and announced plans to appeal. The company maintains that it is committed to user protection and has already implemented measures to address harmful content and improve online safety. This case contributes to the mounting legal pressure on Meta regarding allegations that its platforms may have detrimental effects on young users, with similar lawsuits currently underway in other US states.