Meta ordered to pay 567 mln USD to address children's mental health

NEW YORK - A court in the US state of New Mexico on Thursday ordered social media giant Meta, parent of Instagram and Facebook, to pay 567 million US dollars in damages to address harm caused to young people by its platforms.

A judge ruled that the company had created "a public nuisance" in the state, and ordered it to adopt a series of youth-safety measures, including monthly limits on teens' use of Facebook and Instagram, restrictions on notifications, tighter controls on adult contact with minors, safeguards for artificial intelligence chatbots, and enhanced review of child sexual abuse reports.

The ruling came in the second phase of a landmark trial that Meta lost in March. In the first phase, jurors ordered Meta to pay 375 million dollars in civil penalties against Meta, after finding the company had violated the state's consumer protection law by misrepresenting the safety of Facebook and Instagram for children.

"Today's decision is a victory for every parent who has worried about what social media is doing to their child and every child who deserves to grow up safer online," New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez said in a statement.

Meta said late Thursday it will appeal the ruling.

"We remain confident in our record of protecting teens online and will continue to defend ourselves against claims that misrepresent the facts," a company spokesperson said in a statement.