US Court Orders Meta to Pay $567 Million
A court in New Mexico ordered Meta to pay $567 million. The payment covers mental-health harms to children.
Meta owns Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp. A jury ruled Meta had broken New Mexico's unfair practices law.
The money will go into a special fund. This fund helps address harm caused to children.
The ruling came in the second phase of a trial. Jurors found Meta had enabled harm against users.
Jurors had earlier ordered Meta to pay $375 million in penalties. That brings Meta's total payment in the case to $942 million.
Judge Bryan Biedscheid explained how the new $567 million will be used. He said $420 million will fund treatment services for young people.
This treatment funding will last five years. The remaining $147 million supports awareness and prevention programs. It will also pay for screening services and related costs.
Key Terms 2
- abatement fund Money set aside to fix or reduce a specific harm.
- unfair practices act A law that stops companies from harming or misleading customers.