New Mexico court orders Meta to pay $567m over harms to children’s mental health

A New Mexico court has ordered Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, to pay $567 million for the mental health damage its platforms have inflicted on children. Judge Bryan Biedscheid's ruling on Thursday allocates the majority of the funds, $420 million, to treatment services for young people. The remaining amount will support awareness campaigns, prevention efforts, and screening services over the next five years.

This decision marks the second phase of a significant trial where Meta was found liable in March. A jury determined that the company knowingly harmed children's mental health and concealed its knowledge of child sexual exploitation on its platforms, initially imposing a $375 million fine. This trial was the first to hold Meta accountable for actions occurring on its platform, stemming from an investigation into how Facebook and Instagram facilitated child sex trafficking.

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We disagree with the ruling and will appeal.

Beyond the financial penalty, prosecutors had sought fundamental changes within Meta. These included measures to curb addictive features, enhance age verification processes, and prevent child sexual exploitation through default privacy settings and increased oversight. The judge also mandated that Facebook and Instagram implement clear banner and informational screens detailing their protection features, best practices, and tools for managing inappropriate comments. These changes, along with an educational campaign within New Mexico, will be subject to state review.

A Meta spokesperson expressed disagreement with the ruling, stating, "We disagree with the ruling and will appeal." The company emphasized its commitment to user safety and transparency regarding the challenges of identifying and removing harmful content and actors. "We remain confident in our record of protecting teens online and will continue to defend ourselves against claims that misrepresent the facts," the spokesperson added.

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We work hard to keep people safe on our platforms and have been transparent about the challenges of identifying and removing bad actors and harmful content. We remain confident in our record of protecting teens online and will continue to defend ourselves against claims that misrepresent the facts.