A New Mexico judge has ordered Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, to pay $567m and change how its platforms function for young users in the state after finding the company responsible for harming children’s mental health.
Judge Bryan Biedscheid’s Thursday ruling came in the second phase of a landmark trial. It follows a March jury finding that Meta violated New Mexico’s consumer protection law by misrepresenting the safety of Facebook and Instagram for young users.
At a glance:
- The March jury ordered Meta to pay $375m in damages.
- Of the new $567m award, $420m will fund treatment services for young people.
- The remaining money will support awareness, prevention, screening services and other costs over five years.
- Meta says it will appeal the ruling.
How the money will be used
The judge said $420m of the award will be used for treatment services for young people. The rest will go towards awareness and prevention, screening services and other costs over the next five years.
Related coverage: How a landmark court case proved Meta and Google built addictive social media platforms.
The ruling adds a financial remedy to the March jury verdict, which found that Meta had violated the state’s consumer protection law and ordered $375m in damages.
What could change on Facebook and Instagram
Prosecutors had asked for changes aimed at reining in addictive features, improving age verification and preventing child sexual exploitation through default privacy settings and closer oversight.
The judge ordered Facebook and Instagram to build banner and informational screens that clearly explain protection features, best practices and tools for addressing inappropriate comments. The screens must be displayed regularly, and the changes and an educational campaign in New Mexico will be subject to state review.
Meta plans to appeal
Meta said it will appeal the ruling and said it has been working to identify and remove harmful content from its platforms. The company said it remained confident in its record of protecting teens online.
The second trial lasted three weeks and did not involve a jury. It focused solely on whether Meta’s platforms created a “public nuisance” under New Mexico law.
Why the case matters
The case is being closely watched across the United States as states, municipalities and school districts pursue similar claims seeking changes across the social media industry.
The decision means the look of Meta’s platforms could change for young users in New Mexico, subject to the state’s review of the required changes and educational campaign.
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