US court orders “Meta” to pay $942 million in child safety lawsuits, likening company to “polluting factory”

A court in the US state of New Mexico has ordered “Meta” to pay another $567 million for failing to warn children about the platformʼs dangers, the largest fine ever imposed on a company in a child safety case.

The BBC writes about this.

Judge Brian Bidscheid declared “Meta” a “public menace” and compared the company to a “polluting factory”. The money “Meta” must pay was ordered to be directed to a special fund designed to prevent such a situation in the future.

The decision adds to a previously imposed fine of $375 million, bringing the total amount “Meta” must pay in this case to $942 million. A “Meta” representative said they disagree with the decision and will appeal it. Reporters say the case marks the first time a single US state has won a lawsuit against “Meta” over child safety issues.

The company is currently a defendant in thousands of lawsuits in the US related to similar allegations.

• In March, a jury in New Mexico found “Meta” guilty of facilitating the sexual exploitation of children on its platforms — the company must pay a $375 million fine.
• In addition, the EU has been investigating “Meta” since 2024 for possible violations of the EU Digital Services Act related to child safety. On July 10, the European Commission published a report asking “Meta” to change the design of its social media platform because it could be “addictive”. Failure to do so could result in fines.

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