Landmark Meta Ruling Underscores Importance of Data Privacy and Online Safety for Kids

Today, a judge ordered Meta to pay an unprecedented $25 billion to the state of New Mexico, after a jury found the company misled users about its privacy practices. Although the case focused primarily on data collection for adults, it underscores broader concerns about the business models of most major social media platforms, models which encourage data collection even at a user’s expense. Features such as engagement maximizing algorithms, persistent notifications, and endless scrolling are designed to maximize engagement and generate valuable data, but are also among the most problematic designs identified by research, particularly for children. 

This ruling reinforces the principle that data privacy is fundamental to online safety. But lawmakers cannot view it as an endpoint. Stronger privacy protections and safeguards are needed to prevent harm before it occurs.