Meta Fine New Mexico court orders Meta to pay $567 million over teen mental health

Meta Fine has reached a new milestone after a New Mexico court ordered the social media giant to pay $567 million into a teen mental health fund. The court also directed the company to introduce major safety changes across Facebook and Instagram for young users.

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Judge Bryan Biedscheid ruled that Meta created a public nuisance in New Mexico. He agreed with Attorney General Raúl Torrez, who argued that the company designed its platforms to keep teenagers addicted and failed to protect children from online sexual exploitation.

The decision follows a previous jury verdict in March, which ordered Meta to pay $375 million for misleading users about the safety of Facebook and Instagram for teenagers.

Court orders major platform changes

The court instructed Meta to introduce several youth protection measures over the next five years. These include monthly limits on teenage screen time, stricter notification controls, stronger safeguards against adult contact with minors, enhanced protection for AI chatbots, and improved handling of child sexual abuse reports.

In addition, the ruling requires Meta to stop children in New Mexico from engaging in romantic or sexualised conversations with its AI chatbots. It also bars adults from using the chatbots to simulate sexual interactions involving children.

Meta to appeal the ruling

Meta rejected the decision and confirmed it would appeal.

The company said it has continued to strengthen its safety systems and remove harmful content from its platforms. It also maintained that it remains committed to protecting teenagers online.

Meanwhile, Attorney General Torrez welcomed the judgment. He said the ruling prioritised child safety over corporate profits and could serve as a model for other states and countries pursuing similar legal action.

Case could influence future lawsuits

The lawsuit forms part of a broader legal campaign against social media companies. More than 40 US states and 1,300 school districts have already filed similar public nuisance lawsuits, seeking financial damages and changes to platform design.

However, the judge declined to order changes to features such as infinite scroll and autoplay. He ruled those measures could conflict with constitutional protections and federal law.

The decision comes just days before Meta faces another major trial in California, where 29 states accuse the company of designing Facebook and Instagram to addict children while misrepresenting their safety.