A New Mexico judge ordered new child safeguards for Meta. Advocates hope other courts follow

A New Mexico judge has levied a $567 million fine against Meta, likening the company's social media platforms to factories whose psychological harm to children is akin to pollution. In a landmark ruling, Judge Bryan Biedscheid mandated new safety measures for users under 18 on Facebook and Instagram.

The judge's order includes implementing a 90-hour monthly time limit for minors, restricting AI chatbots, and requiring mandatory warnings on the platforms. However, questions remain about how effectively these features can be implemented and whether they will truly protect young users from mental health harms. These protections would initially apply only to children in New Mexico, and Meta has stated its intention to appeal the ruling.

The decision emerged from the second phase of a lawsuit filed by the state of New Mexico. This financial penalty is in addition to the $375 million in civil penalties a jury ordered in March, finding Meta knowingly harmed children's mental health and concealed information about child sexual exploitation on its platforms. Meta maintains it works to keep users safe and has been transparent about the challenges of moderating content.

Implementing the court-ordered changes presents significant challenges, particularly regarding age verification. The ruling requires Meta to enhance its age assurance models and proactively request proof of age for users believed to be under 13. However, the specifics of such verification methods remain unclear, and federal laws like the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act restrict Meta from collecting personal data or passively tracking children under 13 for age verification purposes. Identifying users within New Mexico subject to these protections also poses a logistical hurdle.

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We remain confident in our record of protecting teens online and will continue to defend ourselves against claims that misrepresent the facts.