A US judge in New Mexico has ordered Meta to pay a further $567m (£421m) after ruling that the company constitutes a "public nuisance" over the harm its platforms cause to children, the largest fine it has faced on child safety grounds. Judge Bryan Biedscheid likened Meta to a polluting factory, saying the "psychological harm and sexual exploitation of children" was the pollution it must now help clean up, with the money directed into a fund to reduce future harms. Meta says it disagrees with the ruling and will appeal, insisting it works hard to keep users safe and defending its record on protecting teenagers online.

The penalty comes on top of $375m Meta was already ordered to pay earlier in the same case, taking the total to $942m, and follows findings that its recommendation algorithms had steered young users towards harmful content and predatory contacts. The lawsuit, brought by New Mexico's state attorneys in 2023, marked the first time a state had successfully sued Meta over child safety, and this latest verdict appears to be the first instance of a social media firm being formally deemed a public nuisance. Commentators noted the sum is small relative to Meta's $61bn quarterly revenue, but suggested it signals growing global momentum towards holding tech platforms to account, with UK figures pointing to it as encouragement for tougher domestic action.