- A New Mexico court ruled Meta responsible for children's well-being and fined $567 million
- Judge Bryan Biedscheid ordered Meta to change platform operations for young users over five years
- Meta previously fined $375 million for violating consumer protection laws in New Mexico
A court in the New Mexico state of United States has ruled that Meta was responsible for the well-being of children and ordered the company to pay $567 million into a teen mental health fund and alter how its platforms operate for young users.
In addition to the $375 million fine a jury imposed on Meta in March 2026 for breaking consumer protection laws, Judge Bryan Biedscheid's historic ruling raises the company's total culpability in New Mexico to $942 million.
Judge Bryan Biedscheid in Santa Fe, who sided with Democratic Attorney General Raúl Torrez, declared that the corporation had caused a public nuisance in New Mexico. Torrez had accused the social media business of failing to safeguard children from sexual exploitation on its platforms and creating goods to addict young users, according to a report by Reuters.
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The decision was made five months after a New Mexico jury in a previous stage of the case found that Meta had broken consumer protection legislation by misrepresenting Facebook and Instagram's safety for teenage users and ordered it to pay $375 million.
Amid an increasing number of lawsuits accusing social media corporations of injuring young users, the case was being keenly monitored. While children and families have filed several cases alleging personal injury, states, municipalities, and school districts have also filed lawsuits seeking significant changes to the business.
More than 1,300 school districts and more than 40 states have sued social media corporations for public nuisance, requesting both penalties and court orders forcing changes to their methods and products.
Under a five-year decree, Biedscheid on Thursday ordered Meta to implement youth-safety measures, such as monthly limits on teens' use of Facebook and Instagram, limitations on notifications, stricter controls on adult contact with minors, safeguards for AI chatbots, and improved review of child sexual abuse reports.
Meta stated that it has been trying to find and eliminate offensive information from its platforms and that it will appeal the decision. "We remain confident ​in our record of protecting teens online and will continue to defend ourselves against claims that misrepresent the facts," Meta stated in a statement.
In a statement, Torres of New Mexico claimed that Meta prioritised business over the safety of children and that the decision was the first to compel a social media behemoth to implement child protection measures.
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The decision comes as Meta is ready to go on trial next week in a federal court in Oakland, California, over allegations made by 29 states that it misled users about their safety and created Facebook and Instagram to addict youngsters. The lawsuit could result in significant damages for the business.
Additionally, Tennessee filed a case, which the business is defending in a trial that started in July. Investors have been informed by Meta that the legal and regulatory fallout from young social media issues in the US and EU "could significantly impact our business and financial results."
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