Meta Platforms Inc (NASDAQ:META) has been ordered by a New Mexico court to pay $567 million into a dedicated fund supporting initiatives to address harm experienced by young users, in one of the most significant legal decisions to date involving child safety and social media platforms.
The decision was issued by Judge Bryan Biedscheid of the First Judicial District Court in Santa Fe following a jury verdict delivered in March that concluded Meta had breached New Mexico’s consumer protection laws by misrepresenting the safety of Facebook and Instagram for children.
Court Orders Platform Changes Alongside Financial Penalty
According to the Albuquerque Journal, which reviewed the court’s 67-page ruling, the judge also instructed Meta to introduce a series of measures aimed at improving protections for minors across its platforms.
The $567 million payment will finance behavioural health services, prevention programmes and other initiatives designed to address the effects of social media on young people. This amount is separate from the $375 million civil penalty previously awarded by the jury, bringing Meta’s total financial liability in the New Mexico case to $942 million.
The ruling also requires Meta to implement additional safeguards for users under the age of 18 in New Mexico, including tighter limits on engagement-focused platform features, stronger protections governing interactions between adults and minors, and further steps intended to reduce children’s exposure to harmful content.
Attorney General Calls Decision a Landmark Victory
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez welcomed the judgment, describing it as a major victory for children and their families.
“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,” Torrez said following the ruling.
Decision Could Shape Future Cases
Legal observers are closely monitoring the outcome because it is among the first cases to impose both a substantial financial sanction and court-mandated operational reforms on a leading social media company over allegations of harm to children.
The decision could also influence similar legal actions currently pending against Meta in other US states.
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