Meta will pay US$567 million for harm to minors in New Mexico

The cost of doing business with social media keeps rising for Meta. A judge in New Mexico, in the southwestern United States, ordered the company — owner of Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram — to pay US$567 million after the state sued it for causing “public nuisance” and harming minors.

It is not the first blow: in March, a jury had already ordered Meta to pay US$375 million to the same state, after determining it exposed children to predators on its platforms, among other harms.

Meta’s response

The company did not stay silent. “We disagree with the ruling and will appeal,” it said in a statement. “We work hard to keep people safe on our platforms and have been transparent about the challenges of identifying and removing malicious actors and harmful content,” it added.

Why it matters

This case is part of a wave of litigation against big tech over online child safety, an issue transforming social media regulation in the United States and the world. States no longer wait for Washington: they sue directly, and the amounts run into the hundreds of millions.

For users — and for parents — the message is twofold: platforms face real consequences for what happens inside them, and the conversation about how to protect children online is just beginning.

The key figure

US$567 million, plus the US$375 million from March: New Mexico has charged Meta nearly US$1 billion over the safety of its minors. And the appeal does not stop the trend.