Meta hit with record $942 million penalty over child safety failures

Meta has been ordered to pay a record $942 million after a US judge ruled the company failed to protect children from harm on its social media platforms.

A court in New Mexico imposed a new $567 million penalty, adding to an earlier $375 million award in the same case. The ruling marks the largest financial penalty Meta has faced over child safety.

Judge Bryan Biedscheid described Meta as a "public nuisance," comparing the company's impact on children to pollution from a factory.

He said the harms caused by its platforms extend beyond the internet, affecting families, schools and communities.

The lawsuit, filed in 2023, accused Meta of exposing children to sexually explicit content and online predators through its recommendation algorithms.

The court found the company repeatedly violated New Mexico's consumer protection laws.

Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads, said it disagrees with the ruling and will appeal, insisting it continues to invest heavily in protecting young users.

In addition to the financial penalty, the judge ordered Meta to introduce stricter safeguards, including blocking adults from messaging minors, removing "like" counts for users under 18, restricting overnight notifications and limiting teenage use of Facebook and Instagram to about three hours a day.

The decision adds to growing legal pressure on Meta, which is already facing thousands of lawsuits in the United States over claims its platforms harm children and teenagers. It also comes as governments worldwide move to tighten rules on child safety across social media.