Damage equated to air pollution
This is an additional fine on top of the previously imposed €326 million in this case, bringing Meta’s total payable amount to €820 million.
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The judge recognized that Meta’s activities cause harm to public interests equivalent to air pollution and ordered the company to establish a fund to finance damage mitigation measures.
In addition to the financial penalty, the court ordered Meta to take additional security measures: to prevent adults from messaging minors, to prohibit minors from sending or receiving images of naked bodies, to remove the display of the number of “likes” on posts by users under 18, and to restrict notifications and usage time.
Disagreeing with the decision
Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Threads, disagrees with the decision and announced it will appeal.
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The company states it continuously invests in user safety and defends its actions.
The New Mexico case arose after a 2023 state lawsuit alleging that Meta’s algorithms directed minors to harmful content and facilitated contact with sexual offenders.
Besides this case, the company faces thousands of similar lawsuits in the US regarding child safety and privacy violations.
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