Meta Fined $375M for Kid Exploitation

0:00A jury in New Mexico has ruled against meta, finding the company may false statements and use unfair practices that preyed on kids vulnerabilities. They hit meta with a penalty of $375 million for thousands of separate violations on platforms like Instagram and Facebook. That's far less than the $1.9 billion prosecutors wanted. No big changes to meta's operations yet, though. A judge will decide next on whether the apps create a public nuisance and if meta should fund programs to fix youth harms. That phase starts in May. Meta says it disagrees in plans to appeal, pointing out its efforts to flag bad content and warn users about risks. Meanwhile, attorneys for the state highlighted addictive features designed to keep kids hooked. This case is one of the first to go to trial amid dozens of lawsuits from states and schools blaming social media for a teen mental health crisis. This included internal emails, whistleblower accounts, and undercover stings showing predators targeting kids.

1:01Watchdogs and parents of affected children call it a turning point in holding tech giants accountable as more legal fights brew nationwide. Local news, powered by AI. This is Durham News Today.