New Mexico court orders Meta to pay $942M in child safety case, imposes teen usage limits

A New Mexico court on Thursday ordered Meta to pay an additional $567 million in a child safety case, bringing the total penalties against the company to $942 million. The ruling, which also mandates significant platform changes, follows a $375 million judgment issued in March in the same state.

Court orders platform changes beyond the fine

The court’s order requires Meta to implement specific safeguards for users under 18 in New Mexico. These include removing Like counts from posts by minors unless a parent or guardian approves, pausing push notifications between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., and limiting overall usage to 90 hours per month—roughly three hours a day. The judge stated that Meta’s platforms have caused a significant “public nuisance” in the state, citing risks of sexual exploitation, interference with education, and adverse mental health outcomes among young people.

Meta says it will appeal the judgment

Meta has announced plans to appeal the decision. In a statement, company spokesperson Andy Stone said, “We work hard to keep people safe on our platforms and have been transparent about the challenges of identifying and removing bad actors and harmful content. We remain confident in our record of protecting teens online and will continue to defend ourselves against claims that misrepresent the facts.”

State Attorney General responds

New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez welcomed the ruling, stating, “For years, Meta knew its platforms were harming New Mexico’s kids, from feeding a youth mental health crisis to connecting predators with children, and it chose engagement and profit over their safety. Today, Meta is paying for that choice.” The judgment also requires Meta to fund programs aimed at mitigating the harm identified in the case.

Broader legal context and other lawsuits

The New Mexico ruling is part of a wider wave of litigation against Meta over teen safety. In March, a Los Angeles court ruled against the company in a similar case involving addictive design. Meta also faces a consolidated lawsuit brought by 33 states in a federal court in Oakland, California, as well as separate actions from states like Tennessee. These cases allege that Meta knowingly designed features that exploit young users’ psychological vulnerabilities.

What this means for Meta and its users

This judgment could set a precedent for how courts treat social media companies’ responsibility for teen well-being. While the specific platform changes are limited to New Mexico, the legal reasoning may influence other jurisdictions. For parents and teens, the ruling signals a growing regulatory push to make platforms safer by default, though Meta’s appeal could delay any immediate changes.

Conclusion

The New Mexico court’s decision adds significant financial and operational pressure on Meta, which continues to face multiple legal challenges over its impact on young users. As the company prepares to appeal, the case highlights the escalating scrutiny of social media platforms and their role in youth mental health. The outcome of this appeal, and other pending lawsuits, will shape the future of online safety regulations.

FAQs

Q1: What exactly did the New Mexico court order Meta to do?
The court ordered Meta to pay $567 million on top of an earlier $375 million fine, totaling $942 million. It also requires Meta to remove Like counts for minors without parental consent, pause push notifications from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., and limit teen usage to 90 hours per month in New Mexico.

Q2: Why did the court rule against Meta?
The court found that Meta’s platforms created a “public nuisance” by contributing to risks of sexual exploitation, educational interference, and adverse mental health outcomes among young people in New Mexico.

Q3: Will these changes apply outside New Mexico?
No, the platform changes are specifically required for users in New Mexico. However, Meta faces similar lawsuits in other states, and this ruling could influence future cases and potential nationwide regulations.