New Mexico Judge Orders Meta to Pay $567 Million, Implement Child Safeguards

A New Mexico judge ordered Meta Platforms Inc. to pay an additional $567 million and implement new child safeguards, bringing the total penalties against the company in the state to $942 million.

First Judicial District Judge Bryan Biedscheid issued a 68-page ruling on Thursday, declaring Meta's social media platforms a public nuisance for failing to adequately warn the public about risks to children. This latest judgment follows a $375 million fine a jury imposed on Meta in March for harms caused to teens and children using its Instagram and Facebook platforms.

Judge Biedscheid compared Meta to a factory causing air pollution, stating that numbers of people in New Mexico experience harm from Meta’s platforms. New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez lauded the $567 million judgment as historic and wide-ranging. Torrez also stated that decades-old laws continue to limit his office's ability to protect children online. Advocates hope this order shows a possible path forward for other court fights around the country as Meta faces mounting legal, regulatory, and public pressure.

The $567 million fund is specifically ordered to help address the youth mental health crisis. The ruling mandates sweeping platform changes in addition to the financial penalty. The judge's order provides a potential framework for other courts to consider in similar cases nationwide.