Milan, 7 Aug. (LaPresse/AP) – A court in New Mexico, in the United States, has ordered Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, to pay $567 million (approximately €492 million) to compensate for the harm caused to minors by its social media platforms. Judge Bryan Biedscheid stated in a ruling handed down late yesterday evening that the majority of the sum, around $420 million, will be allocated to support services for young people. The remainder will be used over the next five years for awareness-raising and prevention initiatives, screening services and other expenses. Meta has vowed to appeal. The judge has ordered Facebook and Instagram to create banners and information screens to clearly explain their safety features, best practices and tools for dealing with issues such as inappropriate comments, and to display them regularly. These changes and an educational campaign in New Mexico will be subject to review by the state. The court has also ordered Meta to continue improving its age verification tools in New Mexico, which involve the use of artificial intelligence to determine people’s ages based on indicators such as who their friends are and what types of content they post and consume. Meta must also seek to develop a ‘prediction model specifically for children under 13’ over the next two years.
US: Meta ordered to pay $567 million in damages to minors
Milan, 7 Aug. (LaPresse/AP) – A court in New Mexico, in the United States, has ordered Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, to pay $567 million (approximately €492 million) to compensate for the harm caused to minors by its social media platforms. Judge Bryan Biedscheid stated in a ruling handed down late yesterday evening that the majority of the sum, around $420 million, will be allocated to support services for young people. The remainder will be used over the next five years for awareness-raising and prevention initiatives, screening services and other expenses. Meta has vowed to appeal. The judge has ordered Facebook and Instagram to create banners and information screens to clearly explain their safety features, best practices and tools for dealing with issues such as inappropriate comments, and to display them regularly. These changes and an educational campaign in New Mexico will be subject to review by the state. The court has also ordered Meta to continue improving its age verification tools in New Mexico, which involve the use of artificial intelligence to determine people’s ages based on indicators such as who their friends are and what types of content they post and consume. Meta must also seek to develop a ‘prediction model specifically for children under 13’ over the next two years.