Meta's Child Safety Battle
Meta Pursues California Legal Battle Against Child Addiction Allegations After New Mexico Loss
A New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay $567 million and change how it protects children on Instagram and Facebook, according to KOMO News. The ruling is one of the biggest legal blows yet for the tech giant over its handling of young users.
Meta is not backing down. The company is now heading into a similar legal battle in California, where it faces another major lawsuit over how its platforms affect kids, Fox 11 reported.
New Mexico Orders $567 Million and Platform Reforms
The New Mexico judge directed that most of the $567 million must go toward treatment services for young people, according to WGME. The court also ordered Meta to make specific changes to Instagram and Facebook to better protect children from harm.
The ruling came after New Mexico argued Meta's platforms caused real damage to minors. The state said Instagram and Facebook were built in ways that put kids at risk, News4 San Antonio reported.
California Attorney General Takes Meta to Court
California Attorney General Rob Bonta is leading the state's lawsuit against Meta, Bakersfield Now reported. Bonta claims Meta built addictive behavior into its platforms, hooking teenagers and children in ways that caused lasting harm.
The California case follows a Los Angeles jury that already found Meta negligent. That jury ruled that Instagram and YouTube harmed minors through the way the platforms were designed, according to Fox San Antonio.
Meta's Lobbying Push to Block Future Lawsuits
In June, Meta launched a lobbying campaign to win legal protection from lawsuits about online harm to kids, according to WACH. The company pushed for exemptions that would shield it from future legal action.
Meta argued the exemption would not wipe out existing lawsuits and would not cover everything. Critics pushed back, saying the move was an attempt to escape accountability for harm already done to young users, Idaho News reported.
What Comes Next for Meta and Child Safety Cases
Meta now faces legal pressure from multiple states at once. The California case is just the next front in a growing wave of lawsuits targeting how the company designs products for young users, according to News Channel 9.
The outcomes of these cases could force major changes to how Instagram and Facebook operate. Regulators and courts are increasingly demanding that tech companies prove their platforms are safe for children, WGXA reported.
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