Meta fined $567 million in largest child safety ruling against social media giant

A U.S. judge in New Mexico ordered Meta to pay an additional $567 million for its failure to warn the public about dangers its platforms pose to children, the largest penalty yet imposed on the social‑media giant.

Judge Bryan Biedscheid likened Meta to a public nuisance—comparable to air pollution—and said the company must place the money in a fund aimed at reducing future harms to young users.

This judgment follows an earlier $375 million fine in the same case. Meta has said it intends to appeal both orders. The court described the social‑media platform as a factory, with advertising and content as its products and the psychological harm and sexual exploitation of children as the pollution that must be abated.