eta has been ordered to pay US$567 million into a fund aimed at addressing harms associated with social media use among children and teenagers, following a court ruling in New Mexico.

The order follows an earlier US$375 million penalty against Meta and also introduces requirements intended to strengthen protections for younger users of its platforms. These include changes relating to age verification, parental controls and features that may contribute to potentially harmful patterns of social media use.

The case reflects growing scrutiny of how social media platforms are designed and the potential effects of features intended to maximise engagement on younger users. Governments and regulators around the world are increasingly examining the responsibilities technology companies have for protecting children and supporting healthier digital environments.

Meta has said it plans to appeal the ruling.

Read the full article on CNN.