A New Mexico judge has ordered Meta Platforms to pay $567 million into an abatement fund to address youth mental health harms linked to its social media platforms, bringing the company's total liability in the state to $942 million. Judge Bryan Biedscheid ruled on Thursday that Meta's platforms are a significant contributing factor to the mental health crisis among the state's youth, declaring them a public nuisance.
Of the new penalty, $420 million is dedicated to treatment services for young people harmed by the platforms, with the remainder funding awareness, prevention, and screening over five years. The court imposed sweeping operational changes, including monthly time limits on teenage Facebook and Instagram use, stricter controls on adult-minor interactions, safety measures for AI chatbots, and the development of an under-13 age prediction model within two years. The judge did not require Meta to end end-to-end encryption on its services.
The ruling follows a March jury verdict that found Meta violated state consumer protection law by misrepresenting platform safety, resulting in a $375 million penalty. Meta said it will appeal the latest decision. The case originated from a 2023 lawsuit by Attorney General Raúl Torrez following an undercover operation.