Meta child safety ruling lands €492m fine and teen limits

Why the Meta child safety ruling matters

A Meta child safety ruling that could ripple out to the Dublin-headquartered giant's wider operations.

Judge Bryan Biedscheid in Santa Fe found the company had created a "public nuisance" in New Mexico.

The judge sided with New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez, who accused Meta of designing products to addict young users and failing to protect children from sexual exploitation.

The decision follows a $375 million (€325 million) penalty five months ago.

Biedscheid ordered youth-safety measures to stay in place for five years, including monthly limits on teens' use of Facebook and Instagram, curbs on notifications, tighter controls on adult contact with minors, safeguards for AI chatbots and enhanced review of child sexual abuse reports.

A decree squarely aimed at young people's mental health.

"Meta chose profit over child safety. This is not just a judgment against one company. It is a blueprint," said Attorney General Torrez in his verdict.

Meta said it will appeal, insisting it remains "confident in our record of protecting teens online" and will "continue to defend ourselves against claims that misrepresent the facts".

More than 40 US states and over 1,300 school districts have filed similar public-nuisance suits.

For Ireland, home to Meta's international headquarters, where children's online safety has become a live political issue, the case is one to watch, as RTÉ News reported.