A New Mexico court has ordered Meta to pay nearly $1 billion following a 2023 lawsuit filed by the state’s attorneys, marking the first time a state has successfully sued the social media giant over child safety issues. Judge Bryan Biedscheid labeled the company a “public nuisance” akin to pollution “that must be abated” after finding that Meta repeatedly violated New Mexico’s Unfair Practices Act by steering young people toward harmful content. The ruling brought total penalties to $942 million—combining an initial $375 million fine from March with an additional $567 million ordered on Thursday, August 6—per the BBC and The Times.
The legal action originated from accusations that Meta enabled child sexual exploitation, exposed minors to sexual predators, and intentionally integrated addictive features into platforms like Facebook and Instagram. In response to the ruling, Judge Biedscheid mandated that Meta place the funds into a trust aimed at mitigating wide-ranging impacts, with approximately $420 million dedicated to behavioral health programs and professionals to treat existing harm. Additionally, the court order enforces child safety measures such as monthly usage limits for teens, notification restrictions, and blocks preventing unknown adults from contacting minors, alongside requirements for Meta to report its progress semiannually.
While New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez praised the decision as a victory for families, a Meta spokesperson announced the company’s intention to appeal, stating that Meta remains confident in its record of protecting teens online. This New Mexico verdict follows a separate landmark trial in Los Angeles County Superior Court, where a young woman named Kaley was awarded $6 million after testifying that addictive platform features caused her mental health struggles. During that trial, 42-year-old Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified and denied that the company’s algorithms are intentionally addictive, emphasizing a focus on sustainable community building rather than maximizing short-term screen time.
