A New Mexico court on Thursday ordered Meta Platforms Inc. to pay an additional $567 million in a case concerning social media harms and addiction. Combined with a $375 million fine imposed in March, the total penalty against the company now stands at $942 million.
Requirements for platform changes in New Mexico
Beyond monetary sanctions, the court imposed several operational requirements for how Meta’s platforms must function within New Mexico. The order requires Meta to:
- remove public Like counts;
- display such engagement metrics to users under 18 only with parental or guardian consent;
- pause push notifications to underage users in the state between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.;
- limit monthly usage for minors to 90 hours, roughly equivalent to three hours per day.
The order stated that "significant numbers of people in New Mexico experience harm from Meta’s products due to risks of sexual exploitation, interference with education, and adverse mental health outcomes." The judge acknowledged that Meta is not the sole platform contributing to the youth mental health crisis in the state, but held that its services play a substantial role and amounted to a significant "public nuisance" that must be abated.
Responses and related litigation
Meta said it will appeal the judgment. In an emailed statement, company spokesperson Andy Stone said: "We work hard to keep people safe on our platforms and have been transparent about the challenges of identifying and removing bad actors and harmful content. We remain confident in our record of protecting teens online and will continue to defend ourselves against claims that misrepresent the facts."
New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez issued a statement asserting: "For years, Meta knew its platforms were harming New Mexico’s kids, from feeding a youth mental health crisis to connecting predators with children, and it chose engagement and profit over their safety. Today, Meta is paying for that choice. This judgment holds the company accountable for the damage it caused to our children, our families, and our schools, and it forces real changes to how Meta operates in New Mexico."
This ruling follows another loss for Meta in March, when a Los Angeles court found against the company in a case over addictive patterns created by its platforms. Meta is also facing multiple other legal actions across the United States, including a consolidated lawsuit brought by 33 states in a federal court in Oakland, California, and separate suits from states such as Tennessee.
Why the decision matters
The New Mexico ruling is significant because it pairs financial penalties with specific technical and policy changes aimed at protecting minors. While Meta’s appeal could prolong the legal process, the decision increases pressure on the company and may influence future regulatory and litigation approaches to social media harms affecting young people.
