A New Mexico judge has ordered Meta to pay $567 million and implement strict safety changes on Instagram and Facebook, ruling that the platforms constitute a public nuisance. Added to a $375 million jury verdict from March, the ruling brings Meta's total penalties in the state to $942 million. The funds will primarily support youth mental health treatment. Meta must also restrict late-night push notifications and limit minor usage to 90 hours monthly. Meta plans to appeal.
New Mexico court ruling
- ▪Judge Bryan Biedscheid ruled that Meta's platforms constitute a public nuisance in New Mexico, comparing the psychological harm and sexual exploitation of children to factory pollution
- ▪State District Court Judge Bryan Biedscheid ordered Meta to pay $567 million and implement platform safety changes in New Mexico on August 6, 2026
Financial penalties totaling $942 million
- ▪The $567 million penalty is in addition to $375 million in civil penalties a New Mexico jury ordered Meta to pay in March 2026, bringing the total state penalties to $942 million
- ▪The total $942 million penalty represents a small fraction of Meta's 2025 annual profit, which was approximately $60 billion
Youth treatment fund allocation
- ▪The remaining $147 million of the New Mexico fund will support awareness, prevention, screening, assessment, and referral services over the next five years
- ▪Of the $567 million penalty, $420 million is allocated to fund clinical and behavioral health treatment programs for young people harmed by social media in New Mexico
Platform design restrictions
- ▪The court ordered Meta to remove visible Like counts for users under 18 in New Mexico unless approved by a parent or guardian
- ▪Judge Bryan Biedscheid ordered Meta to restrict push notifications to underage users in New Mexico between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. and limit their platform usage to 90 hours per month
- ▪The court did not order Meta to alter its recommendation algorithms, noting that such a mandate would likely violate the First Amendment and Section 230
- ▪The court ordered Meta to develop an under-13-years-of-age prediction model within two years and partner with schools to create an underage user reporting portal
Meta appeal plans
- ▪Meta spokesperson Andy Stone stated that the company disagrees with the New Mexico court ruling and plans to appeal the decision
- ▪New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez stated that Meta prioritized engagement and profit over safety and must now pay the price for the damage caused to children
Child safety litigation trend
- ▪Meta is scheduled to face a federal trial in Oakland, California, in August 2026, brought by attorneys general from multiple states over youth mental health impacts
- ▪In July 2026, Meta, TikTok, Snap, and Google's YouTube were sued by the families of four teenagers who died by suicide following escalating social media harms
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