Meta Ordered to Pay $806 Million for Harming Children's Mental Health in New Mexico

A New Mexico court has mandated that Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, pay $806 million to address the mental health harms its platforms have inflicted on young people. The ruling, issued by Judge Bryan Biedscheid, is the second phase of a significant trial concerning the social media giant's impact on minors.

The court found Meta guilty of creating a public nuisance within New Mexico. State Attorney General Raúl Torrez had accused the company of intentionally designing its products to foster addiction among young users and inadequately protecting children from sexual exploitation on its platforms. Judge Biedscheid's order requires Meta to implement a range of youth-safety measures over five years, including monthly usage limits for teens, restricted notifications, enhanced controls on adult interactions with minors, safeguards for AI chatbots, and improved review processes for child sexual abuse reports.

Meta has announced its intention to appeal the ruling. In a statement, the company asserted, "We remain confident in our record of protecting teens online and will continue to defend ourselves against claims that misrepresent the facts." The company maintains it has been actively working to identify and remove harmful content.

This decision follows a jury's finding in March that Meta violated New Mexico's consumer protection law by misrepresenting the safety of its platforms for young users, ordering an initial $533 million in damages. The subsequent trial focused on the "public nuisance" aspect under state law. The case is drawing national attention as other states and municipalities pursue similar legal actions against social media companies.

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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.