SANTA FE, N.M. — A New Mexico judge has ordered Meta to pay $567 million into a five-year fund addressing mental health and safety harms linked to young people’s use of Facebook and Instagram.
The decision follows a $375 million civil penalty imposed by a jury in March, bringing Meta’s total liability in the case to $942 million. Of the newly ordered amount, $420 million will fund treatment services, with the remainder supporting prevention, public awareness, screening and related programs.
The court also ordered Meta to make significant changes to its platforms for young users in New Mexico. Those measures include monthly limits on teen usage, restrictions on notifications, tighter controls over contact between adults and minors, improved age-assurance systems and stronger review of child sexual abuse reports.
Meta must also prevent children from engaging in romantic or sexualized interactions with its artificial intelligence chatbots. The requirements will remain under court supervision for five years.
Judge Bryan Biedscheid found that Meta had created a public nuisance by contributing to harms that extended beyond its platforms into families, schools, hospitals and law enforcement.
The court rejected Meta’s argument that Section 230 protected it from the state’s claims, finding that New Mexico was challenging the design and operation of Meta’s products rather than attempting to hold the company responsible for content posted by users. The judge did, however, decline to impose some of the state’s requested restrictions on features such as infinite scroll and autoplay, citing constitutional and federal-law concerns.
Meta said it plans to appeal and maintains that it has worked to protect teenagers and remove harmful content.
Sources: Reuters; New Mexico Department of Justice.