A New Mexico court ordered Meta to pay an additional $567 million on Thursday in an ongoing case over the platform’s impact on young users, adding to the $375 million fine handed down back in March. Combined, the rulings now put Meta’s total bill in this case at roughly $942 million.
Beyond the financial penalty, the court is also forcing operational changes to how Meta runs its platforms in the state. Like counts will need to be hidden from users under 18 unless a parent or guardian specifically approves showing them. Push notifications to minors must go silent between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., and their overall platform usage is being capped at 90 hours a month — roughly three hours a day.
In the court’s order, the judge pointed to “significant numbers” of New Mexico residents experiencing harm tied to Meta’s products, citing risks around exploitation, disrupted education, and mental health. While acknowledging Meta isn’t the only platform contributing to a broader youth mental health crisis in the state, the judge found the company had created a substantial public nuisance that it is now required to address.
New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez framed the ruling as accountability years in the making, saying it holds Meta “accountable for the damage it caused” to the state’s children, families, and schools. Meta has said it plans to appeal. Company spokesperson Andy Stone said the platform will “continue to defend ourselves against claims that misrepresent the facts,” pointing to the company’s broader safety record.
This is the second major courtroom loss for Meta this year tied to youth safety, following a March ruling in Los Angeles where a jury found the company negligent for fostering addictive usage patterns. Meta is also facing a consolidated lawsuit from 33 states currently underway in an Oakland, California federal court, along with separate state-level cases including one recently brought by Tennessee.
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