On the 6th, a judge in New Mexico, USA, ruled that social media giant Meta must pay $567 million (approximately 2.32 billion ringgit) in compensation and take multiple measures to protect minors, finding that its platforms have caused harm to children.
According to aggregated foreign news outlets, the judge determined that Meta has created a 'public nuisance' in New Mexico, supporting the claims of Democratic Attorney General Torres. In 2023, Torres accused the social media company of designing products that make young users addicted and failing to protect children from sexual exploitation on its platforms.
In March this year, a jury already ruled that Meta should pay $375 million in compensation to New Mexico for failing to protect children on its platforms from sexual predators and other online dangers. On the 6th, the judge further approved the establishment of a $567 million fund to be used for mental health treatment, preventive education, and related support programs.
Meta issued a statement saying the company disagrees with the verdict and will appeal.
According to the ruling, Meta must report its rectification progress to the court every six months and continuously strengthen measures to prevent children under 13 in New Mexico from using Facebook and Instagram.
The judge also ordered Meta to adjust certain platform designs, including limiting users under 18 to no more than 90 hours of platform usage per month (an average of about three hours per day), reducing push notifications, and hiding 'like' counts.
This case is attracting great attention because various US states, municipal authorities, and school districts have filed similar lawsuits, seeking to promote industry-wide reform.