Meta Ordered to Pay $375M in New Mexico Child Exploitation Lawsuit


A New Mexico jury found Tuesday that Meta violated the state’s consumer protection laws by misleading users about the safety of and allowing child sexual exploitation on its Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp platforms, as reported earlier by Reuters. 

The company was ordered to pay $375 million in penalties as a result of the lawsuit, which was brought by the state’s attorney general. That sum is the maximum penalty per violation under the state’s law, but there’s no further information at this time about how the funds will be distributed.

Meta said in a statement that it disagrees with the ruling and will appeal. 

“We work hard to keep people safe on our platforms and are clear about the challenges of identifying and removing bad actors or harmful content,” the company’s statement said. “We will continue to defend ourselves vigorously, and we remain confident in our record of protecting teens online.”

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez alleged that the company’s executives knew its products hurt children and disregarded warnings from employees. 

“The jury’s verdict is a historic victory for every child and family who has paid the price for Meta’s choice to put profits over kids’ safety,” Torrez said in a statement.

Torrez said the state will seek additional penalties and ask the court to require the company to make changes to its platform to protect children.

At the same time, a jury in Los Angeles is considering a case against Meta and Google-owned YouTube brought by a young woman who said she became addicted to YouTube and Instagram as a child. The Los Angeles trial, during which Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified, is seen as a bellwether for similar cases across the country. The jury in that case told the judge on Monday that it was having difficulty reaching a consensus regarding one defendant, but did not name which one.





Source link

  • Related Posts

    Satya Nadella says companies that trust one AI for everything may not survive

    On Sunday, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella doubled down on the shocking warning he issued earlier this month to businesses that use AI, taking it a step further this time. Companies…

    X Money Begins Limited US Rollout

    Only Premium and Premium X subscribers get the privilege of banking with Elon for now. X The latest development out of the social media network formerly known as…

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    You Missed

    The colorful, funky new arrivals I’ve had my eye on all month.

    The colorful, funky new arrivals I’ve had my eye on all month.

    Alberta to begin allowing self-referred medical testing as of Friday

    Alberta to begin allowing self-referred medical testing as of Friday

    A Japanese town wrestles with identity after protests over its first mosque

    A Japanese town wrestles with identity after protests over its first mosque

    Oil Extends Decline as Trump Says in Talks With Iran to End War

    Afternoon front page: Another shooting at Toronto’s U.S. Consulate; why Trump might want to renounce Canada-U.S. water treaties; and more

    West Indies v Pakistan: Justin Greaves takes five wickets for none in incredible spell

    West Indies v Pakistan: Justin Greaves takes five wickets for none in incredible spell