U.S. judge orders Meta to pay $567 million over harms to young people

A court in New Mexico ordered Meta, the parent company of Facebook, to pay $567 million to address harms the judge said were caused to young people by its social platforms.

Judge Brajan Bidshajd found that Meta’s platforms constitute a “public nuisance” and concluded the company engaged in conduct that “undermines the public health, safety and welfare” in New Mexico.

In his written opinion the judge warned that the company was a major contributor to a local youth mental-health crisis and likened the platforms to an industrial polluter. He wrote that, "Although 'Meta' is not alone in this regard, its social platforms are a significant contributing factor to the current youth mental-health crisis in New Mexico."

Court compares platforms to a factory

Bidshajd extended the analogy in the ruling: the court treats Meta’s platforms as akin to a factory, and the advertisements and other content shown there as what the factory produces. He equated the resulting psychological harm and the sexual exploitation of children with pollution that must be abated, writing that, "The Court considers Meta’s platforms analogous to a factory, the advertisements and other content displayed on those platforms to what the factory produces, and the psychological harm and sexual exploitation of children to the pollution that must be suppressed."

The judgement adds that the damage did not remain isolated online but spread across the internet and into the real world, creating a shared social burden on affected children, their families and schools, as well as on hospitals and law enforcement. "Instead, the harmful effects spread across the internet and, perhaps most worryingly, into the real world, creating a shared social burden and harm to affected children, their families and schools, as well as to hospitals and law enforcement," the opinion says.

The court specified how the $567 million should be used: $420 million for services that treat young people, with the remainder earmarked for awareness and prevention, screening services and other related costs. The ruling supplements an earlier order in the same case from March that required Meta to pay $375 million.

Meta spokesman Andy Stone said the company disagrees with the decision and will appeal. In a post on X he wrote, "We work hard to keep people safe on our platforms and have been transparent about the challenges of identifying and removing bad actors and harmful content. We remain confident in our balance of protecting teens online and will continue to defend against claims that portray the facts otherwise."

Photo: press material from the event