Meta Faces $942 Million Child-Safety Penalty as Prince Harry Calls Ruling a Watershed
Updated
Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Aug 9
Meta Faces $942 Million Child-Safety Penalty as Prince Harry Calls Ruling a Watershed
1 articles · Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Aug 9
Summary
$567 million in new fines from a New Mexico court lifted Meta's child-safety penalties to $942 million over claims it failed to protect minors and enabled child sexual exploitation.
Prince Harry called the ruling a watershed moment, saying the harm to children was a choice rather than an accident and that the decision showed the law catching up with platforms that prioritized engagement over safety.
The court also ordered new safeguards, including monthly limits for teens on Instagram and Facebook, notification restrictions, a ban on unknown adults contacting users under 18, and twice-yearly progress reports.
At least $420 million of the penalties is expected to fund health programs for affected young people, while Meta still faces a separate trial later this month over claims it knowingly built addictive features that fueled a youth mental-health crisis.