According to the Associated Press and Bloomberg News, a jury in the first trial state court in New Mexico ruled that Meta should pay a $375 million fine for violating state laws related to consumer protection and having a detrimental effect on children’s mental health.
In particular, the jury agreed with state prosecutors’ claims that Meta did not take any action and prioritized profits over safety, even though it was aware of the risk of child sexual exploitation and mental health effects on the platform.
They reached the conclusion after listening to comments from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, whistleblowers, teachers, and psychologists for about six weeks.
Meta immediately issued a statement saying, “We are doing our best to ensure the safety of platform users,” adding, “We do not agree with the results of the decision and will appeal.”
Recently, lawsuits have continued in the United States over the impact of SNS platforms on minors. This verdict is the first time that Meta has been held accountable for related issues.
In California’s first trial court, a woman is also suing Meta and YouTube for more than a decade of SNS addiction.
JENNIFER KIM
US ASIA JOURNAL
