Meta ordered to pay $567 million in New Mexico for teen mental health harms

Meta has been ordered by a New Mexico state court to pay $567 million into a teen mental health fund and alter its platforms' functionalities for young users, following a ruling that found the company responsible for harming children's well-being.

Judge Bryan Biedscheid in Santa Fe declared Meta had created a public nuisance in New Mexico, agreeing with Attorney General Raúl Torrez, who accused the social media giant of designing addictive products and failing to protect minors from sexual exploitation on its platforms. This decision follows a previous jury verdict in which Meta was ordered to pay $375 million for misrepresenting the safety of Facebook and Instagram for young users.

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This is not just a judgment against one company. It is a blueprint. Now other states, and other countries confronting the same crisis, have a roadmap they can follow.

The case is part of a growing wave of litigation against social media companies, with over 40 states and 1,300 school districts filing similar public nuisance lawsuits. Judge Biedscheid mandated that Meta implement youth-safety measures for five years, including monthly usage limits for teens on Facebook and Instagram, notification restrictions, enhanced controls on adult-minor contact, safeguards for AI chatbots, and improved review processes for child sexual abuse reports.

Meta stated its intention to appeal the ruling, asserting confidence in its efforts to protect teens online. "We remain confident in our record of protecting teens online and will continue to defend ourselves against claims that misrepresent the facts," the company said in a statement. New Mexico's Attorney General Torrez hailed the ruling as a blueprint for other states and countries facing similar crises, emphasizing that Meta prioritized profit over child safety. The ruling also specifically ordered Meta to prevent children from engaging in romantic or sexualized interactions with its AI chatbots and to stop adults from using chatbots for such purposes with minors.

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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.