A US court has ordered Meta to pay $567 million in penalties over allegations that the social media giant failed to adequately protect children from harmful content and online risks.A New Mexico judge issued the order on Thursday, making it the largest financial penalty against Meta over child safety issues to date. Meta had previously been fined $375 million in the same case, bringing the total penalties to $942 million.New Mexico Judge Brian Biedscheid described Meta as a “public health nuisance”, comparing the harm allegedly caused by its platforms to pollution.He said the money must be placed in a fund aimed at reducing harm to children in the future.Meta owns platforms including Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp and Threads.Judge compares Meta to a factoryJudge Biedscheid compared Meta to a factory, saying its products are advertising and content, while the potential mental harm to children and risks of sexual exploitation represent the “pollution” that needs to be controlled.A Meta spokesperson disagreed with the ruling and said the company would appeal.The spokesperson said Meta regularly works to keep users safe and remains confident in its efforts to protect teenagers online.Allegations of pushing children towards harmful contentThe New Mexico case began in 2023, when state attorneys alleged that Meta’s platforms exposed children to harmful content and created opportunities for them to come into contact with sexual material and sexual offenders.In the first phase of the case, the court found that Meta had repeatedly violated New Mexico’s Unfair Practices Act.The court also found that Meta’s recommendation-based algorithms pushed young users towards harmful content and risky interactions.The algorithms automatically determine what content users are shown.In the second-phase ruling, the judge said Meta’s activities had created harm on the scale of a public nuisance, affecting public health and safety beyond the online environment.He said the impact could extend to children, families, schools, hospitals and law enforcement agencies.Funds to support treatment and awarenessUnder the court order, the fund created with Meta’s penalty will be used to reduce the harmful effects of social media on children.Around $420 million is expected to be spent on treating harm allegedly linked to Meta’s platforms, including clinical and behavioural health services for children.Another portion will fund awareness and prevention programmes, including training for teachers and healthcare workers on addressing social media-related harm among children.New restrictions imposed on MetaThe court has also ordered Meta to introduce several additional measures for underage users, including: Not recommending users under 18 to adults. Preventing adults from messaging minors. Blocking the sending or receiving of nude images involving minors. Introducing a “one-strike ban” policy for adults involved in child sexual exploitation. The court also ordered further restrictions for users under 18, including: Hiding the number of likes on their posts. Suspending push notifications from 10pm to 7am. Turning off notifications from 8am to 3pm during the regular school year, except weekends. Limiting Instagram and Facebook use to 90 hours per month for users under 18. More cases against MetaMeta is facing thousands of lawsuits in the US over child safety and privacy issues.The New Mexico case comes alongside another similar case in Los Angeles, where Meta lost earlier this year.Another major trial against the company is scheduled to begin in California next week.Attorneys general from around 36 US states have also accused Meta of violating laws protecting children’s privacy.
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