SANTA FE, N.M. (Diya TV) — A New Mexico judge has ordered Meta to pay $567 million over claims that its social media platforms harmed young people. The ruling also requires the company to make major changes to how minors use Facebook and Instagram in the state.
The penalty marks the largest financial sanction Meta has faced in its ongoing legal fights over social media safety, youth mental health and online addiction.
Judge Bryan Biedscheid of State District Court in Santa Fe issued the ruling Thursday. He said the evidence showed that Meta’s platforms played a significant role in New Mexico’s youth mental health crisis.
The judge also ordered Meta to create limits on how young users interact with its platforms. The company said it disagrees with the decision and plans to appeal. The $567 million payment comes on top of another $375 million penalty from March. In that case, a jury found that Meta misled users about the safety of its platforms.
The jury also found that the company enabled the sexual exploitation of young people. The latest payment will go into a fund designed to address harm linked to Meta’s platforms. The fund will also support treatment for young people who suffered harm from social media use.
In his ruling, Biedscheid said Meta was not the only company contributing to youth mental health problems. However, he said the evidence showed that Meta’s platforms played a major role in the crisis among young people in New Mexico.
The ruling also puts new limits on how minors can use Meta’s platforms in New Mexico. Meta cannot send push notifications to underage users on Instagram or Facebook between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. The company must also limit those users to 90 hours of platform use each month.
These measures aim to reduce late-night social media activity and excessive use among young people. They also add new restrictions to Meta’s efforts to manage teen safety on its platforms. The rules could become important as states across the country examine the effects of social media on children and teenagers.
Meta spokesman Andy Stone said the company disagrees with the ruling. He said Meta works to protect people from harmful content and bad actors.
Stone also said the company remains confident in its record of protecting teenagers online. Meta plans to challenge the decision through an appeal. Meanwhile, the case adds to growing legal pressure on the company. Teenagers, school districts and state officials have filed thousands of lawsuits against Meta across the United States.
Many of those cases focus on features such as infinite scrolling. Critics argue that such features can encourage users to spend more time on social media.
New Mexico became the first state in a broader group of states to sue Meta over claims involving child safety and social media harm.
State Attorney General Raúl Torrez welcomed the latest ruling. He said Meta knew its platforms could harm children but continued to prioritize user engagement and profits.
Meta now faces another major legal challenge later this month. The company is scheduled to go to trial in Oakland, California, in a case brought by attorneys general from California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey.
