US judge compares Meta to ‘public nuisance,’ orders $567m payout over child harm

Meta has been ordered to pay another $567 million by a US judge over allegations that its social media platforms exposed children to harmful content and failed to adequately protect young users.The ruling by Judge Bryan Biedscheid adds to mounting legal and regulatory pressure on Meta over the way Instagram and Facebook are designed and how they protect children from harmful content, sexual exploitation and potentially addictive use.The judge described Meta as a “public nuisance”, comparing the harm caused to children by its platforms to pollution produced by a factory. The money will be placed in a fund aimed at addressing the damage and preventing further harm.Meta, which owns Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp and Threads, rejected the ruling and said it would appeal.“We disagree with the ruling and will appeal,” a Meta spokesperson said, adding that the company works to keep people safe and remains confident in its record of protecting teenagers online.The latest order follows a $375 million civil penalty previously imposed in the same case, bringing the total financial liability to $942 million. The New Mexico case began with allegations that Meta’s platforms exposed young users to sexually explicit material and enabled contact with sexual predators.The court had earlier found that Meta’s recommendation systems directed young users towards harmful content and contacts. In the latest phase, the judge ruled that the resulting harms met the legal threshold of a public nuisance.The judge has also ordered a series of measures aimed at limiting risks to children. These include restrictions on interactions between adults and underage users, stronger safeguards against child sexual exploitation, limits on notifications and measures to reduce excessive use of Instagram and Facebook by minors.A significant portion of the $567 million fund — $420 million — will go towards treatment and behavioural-health programmes addressing harms that have already occurred. Other money will support prevention and training for teachers and health professionals.The ruling comes as Meta faces thousands of lawsuits in the US involving alleged harms to children and teenagers. The company has also faced legal challenges over whether the design of its platforms encourages addictive use among young people.

India is facing its own Meta child-safety concerns

The US ruling comes at a particularly relevant moment for Meta in India, where authorities have recently scrutinised the company over child safety on Instagram.In July, India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology ordered Instagram to disable advertisements and content promoting or facilitating access to child sexual abuse material, after reports that such material had appeared in paid advertisements on the platform. The ministry also sought an explanation from Meta.Meta subsequently acknowledged reports about Instagram advertisements in India that violated its policies against child exploitation. The company said its systems had already identified and removed some of the offending advertisements and accounts, while a subsequent investigation led to further removals and blocked URLs. Meta denied that it knowingly targeted such advertisements at users based on inappropriate interests.