New Mexico court fines Meta ₹5,390 cr:Says the company prioritised engagement and profits over children’s safety, harming their mental health

A New Mexico court has fined Meta $567 million (over ₹5,000 crore) over the harmful impact of its platforms on children’s mental health. The court held the company accountable, marking the first time a US state has taken such action against a major tech company. In its ruling late Thursday, Judge Bryan Biedscheid said $420 million of the penalty would be used for treatment programmes for young people. The remaining amount will be spent over the next five years on awareness, prevention, and screening services. Meta’s platforms, Instagram and Facebook, have long faced criticism over child safety and mental health concerns. The court said the company’s platforms had a negative impact on children. What could Meta do next? New Mexico Attorney General filed the lawsuit The lawsuit was brought by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez, who alleged that Instagram and Facebook are unsafe for children and that Meta knowingly ignored the risks. The complaint alleged that Meta deliberately designed its algorithms to make children addicted to its platforms, contributing to rising cases of depression, eating disorders, and suicide among young users. The lawsuit went beyond mental health, alleging that Meta’s platforms were also used for child sexual exploitation and grooming, and that the company failed to take adequate action despite being aware of the risks. Court: Federal law limits Meta’s age verification The court said federal child privacy laws prevent Meta from implementing age verification measures for children under 13. Under the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), Meta cannot be required to collect personal data from children or track them solely for age verification purposes. Meta apologised to the Indian government a day earlier A day before the ruling, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg apologised to the Indian government after a Facebook post by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was taken down. The company also acknowledged shortcomings in tackling child sexual abuse material (CSAM), deepfakes, and content moderation on its platforms.