Meta has been ordered to pay $567m (£421m) by a US judge in New Mexico for failing to warn the public about the risks its platforms posed to children.

According to the BBC, Judge Bryan Biedscheid described the social media giant as a “public nuisance”, comparing the psychological harm and sexual exploitation of children on its platforms to pollution from a factory.

The latest fine brings Meta’s total penalty in the case to $942m, after it was previously ordered to pay $375m. The money will go towards reducing future harm.

The case followed a 2023 lawsuit brought by New Mexico authorities, which accused Meta of exposing children to sexually explicit content and contact with predators. The company was previously found to have violated the state’s Unfair Practices Act, with its recommendation algorithms steering young users towards harmful content.

Meta, which owns Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp and Threads, said it disagreed with the ruling and would appeal. It said it works to keep users safe and has been transparent about the challenges of removing harmful content.

Meta is facing thousands of similar lawsuits across the US. Despite the size of the latest penalty, former Twitter executive Bruce Daisley described it as “a drop in the ocean” compared with the company’s revenues.