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For parents who have spent years telling their children to get off Instagram and put down their phones, a landmark U.S. court ruling may sound very familiar.
Meta, the company behind Facebook and Instagram, has been hit with another $567 million penalty over harm to children, bringing the total in the case to a huge $942 million.
And the judge didn't stop at the money.
Meta has also been ordered to change how Facebook and Instagram work for children in New Mexico, including limiting young users to a combined 90 hours a month, about three hours a day.
Notifications will be switched off overnight and during school hours, while "like" counts will be hidden by default for users under 18. Meta must also introduce stronger measures to protect children from sexual exploitation and inappropriate contact online.
When social media follows children home
The case began after New Mexico authorities accused Meta of failing to adequately protect children from harmful content and sexual predators.
A jury had already ordered Meta to pay $375 million in March. The latest $567 million award takes the total to $942 million, making the case one of the most significant legal blows yet against a social media company over child safety.
Judge Bryan Biedscheid described the effects of Meta's platforms as a "public nuisance," comparing them to pollution from a factory. His point was simple: the damage doesn't necessarily end when the phone is switched off. It can follow children into their homes, schools, and everyday lives.
About $420 million of the latest award will go toward treatment services for young people, with additional money funding prevention and awareness programs.
A debate Cyprus parents know well
The ruling applies to New Mexico, not Cyprus, so Cypriot teenagers won't suddenly find Instagram shutting down after three hours.
But the bigger question travels rather well.
Parents are constantly being told to control their children's screen time, check what they are watching, and keep them safe online. This ruling asks whether the tech companies making billions from those same young users should carry more of that responsibility themselves.
Meta says it disagrees with the decision and will appeal, insisting it has worked extensively to make its platforms safer for teenagers.
With children increasingly growing up with social media in their pockets, however, the almost $1 billion price tag sends a pretty loud message: keeping kids safe online may no longer be seen as just the parents' job.
*With information from AP News and Reuters
