By Opeyemi Adelakun
A New Mexico court has ordered Meta Platforms Inc. to pay $567 million and implement sweeping restrictions on Facebook and Instagram features used by minors after finding that the technology company created a public nuisance that endangered children on its social media platforms.
The judgment, delivered on Thursday, follows an earlier $375 million award issued in March after a jury found Meta liable for exposing young users to online predators through its platforms.
The latest ruling is considered a landmark decision, marking the first time a United States court has found a social media company liable for creating a public nuisance. The decision comes as more than 30 states pursue similar lawsuits against Meta over allegations that its platforms harm children’s safety and mental health.
The court directed that about three-quarters of the $567 million penalty be paid into a mental health treatment fund over the next five years, while the remaining funds will support child safety awareness programmes and measures to monitor Meta’s compliance with the court’s directives.
New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez described the ruling as a significant victory for children and their families.
“Today’s decision is a victory for every parent who has worried about what social media is doing to their child and every child who deserves to grow up safer online,” Torrez said.
“This case has always been about protecting children, standing up for families, and making sure that one of the world’s largest technology companies cannot profit from practices that endanger young people without consequence.”
In his judgment, Judge Bryan Biedscheid held that teenagers were especially vulnerable to platform features designed to maximise user engagement, including autoplay, infinite scrolling, push notifications, visible “like” counts and algorithm-driven content recommendations.
The court ordered Meta to limit push notifications for users under the age of 18, restrict their monthly usage to 90 hours—equivalent to an average of three hours daily—and block certain notifications during school hours.
The company was also directed to hide “like” counts for young users and strengthen measures preventing children under the age of 13 in New Mexico from creating Facebook and Instagram accounts.
In addition, Meta must submit compliance reports to the court twice a year detailing efforts to implement the ordered reforms.
Responding to the decision, Meta said it would challenge the ruling.
“We disagree with the ruling and will appeal,” the company said in a statement.
Meta added that it remained “confident in our record of protecting teens online and will continue to defend ourselves against claims that misrepresent the facts.”
During the trial, prosecutor Linda Singer argued that Meta concealed internal findings about the risks its platforms posed to young users while allowing its recommendation algorithms to direct adults towards content posted by teenagers.
The company had already been found liable in March for violating New Mexico’s Unfair Practices Act by misleading consumers about the safety of Facebook and Instagram for children.
The ruling comes ahead of another major lawsuit against Meta scheduled to begin in California next week over similar allegations involving child safety and mental health.
Meta has also faced mounting legal challenges elsewhere. In July, a teenager in the United States withdrew a lawsuit against the company shortly before trial after reaching confidential settlements with Meta, YouTube, TikTok and Snap.
Earlier this year, a Los Angeles jury ordered Meta and Google to pay $6 million to a 20-year-old woman in the first bellwether trial involving claims that social media platforms contributed to mental health harm.
In May, Meta, Snap, TikTok and YouTube also reached confidential settlements with a Kentucky school district over related allegations concerning the impact of social media on children.
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