Meta Found Guilty of Harming Children’s Mental Health, Fined $375 Million in New Mexico

A jury in New Mexico, USA, has found Meta guilty of harming kids’ mental health and concealing the risks of child sexual abuse on its social media platforms. This was the verdict that ended the nearly seven-week trial.

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The jury, which sided with state prosecutors, has found that Meta, which owns Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, was more concerned with profits than safety. It also found that the company provided false information regarding kids’ mental health and risks of abuse, and that they used unfair business practices.

The jury has found thousands of violations, for which they have imposed a fine of $375 million, which is ₹31 billion. This is a much lower amount than what was sought by the prosecutors. However, the company has a market value of approximately $1.5 trillion, and its shares rose by about 5% following the verdict.

Meta has not been forced to immediately modify its operations. A judge will now determine whether Meta’s platforms caused public harm and whether the company will be required to compensate for the resulting losses. The next hearing in the case will be held in May.

A Meta spokesperson disagreed with the verdict and stated that the company will appeal. He stated that Meta continuously works to keep people safe on its platforms and removes harmful content. This case is one of a growing number of legal cases against social media platforms. The lawsuit, filed by New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez in 2023, alleged that Meta failed to fully disclose the dangers and addiction issues of social media.

The jury also examined what information the company shared regarding issues such as enforcement of restrictions on users under 13, content related to teen suicide, and the promotion of harmful content through algorithms. Meta’s lawyers said the company highlights risks and attempts to remove harmful content, although some content evades security mechanisms.