New Mexico Judge Orders Meta to Pay $567 Million and Impose Youth Usage Restrictions
A state judge added a $567 million penalty to a prior $375 million judgment against Meta, requiring changes to how minors use its platforms and creating a fund for treatment of affected youth.
A New Mexico state judge imposed a $567 million fine on Meta and ordered additional safeguards for minors on its social media services, marking the largest monetary penalty the company has faced in the ongoing litigation over platform safety. The sanction follows a March jury verdict that required Meta to pay $375 million after finding the firm misled users about safety and facilitated sexual exploitation of young people.
The new fine will fund a compensation program for minors harmed by social media, including treatment costs. Judge Bryan Biedscheid wrote that Meta’s platforms are a "significant contributing factor" to the mental health challenges among New Mexico’s youth.
Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said the company disagrees with the ruling and will appeal, asserting that the firm works hard to keep users safe and is confident in its record of protecting teens online.
Under the court order, Meta may not send push notifications to under-age Instagram and Facebook accounts between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., and it must cap the total time those users spend on its platforms at 90 hours per month.
The case adds to thousands of lawsuits nationwide filed by teenagers, school districts and state attorneys general alleging that features such as infinite scroll cause widespread harm. New Mexico was the first state to bring a case against the company, and Meta is scheduled for a trial later this month in Oakland, California, involving attorneys general from several other states. The state attorney general, Raúl Torrez, said Meta has chosen profit over safety for New Mexico’s children.