Meta ordered to pay $567 million in largest child‑safety ruling

A U.S. District Court in New Mexico has ordered Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, to pay an additional $567 million in damages for alleged harms to children caused by its services. The ruling, issued by Judge James A. Watson, follows a long‑running federal lawsuit that accused the social‑media giant of facilitating the exposure of minors to sexual exploitation material, cyber‑bullying and other detrimental content, and of failing to implement adequate safeguards.

The court’s decision builds on a prior $2.7 billion settlement Meta reached in 2022 to resolve similar claims, but the judge found that the earlier agreement did not fully compensate victims for ongoing injuries. The new award is intended to fund counseling, mental‑health services and other remedial programs for affected children, and to cover punitive damages meant to deter future negligence. Meta has indicated it will consider an appeal, while consumer‑protection advocates view the order as a significant step toward holding technology firms accountable for child safety.