New Mexico court orders Meta to pay $567m over harm to youths

What the report says

A New Mexico judge has ordered Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, to pay $567 million and make changes to how its platforms operate for young users in the state, according to Al Jazeera’s report based on Reuters and The Associated Press. The ruling, issued in the second phase of a landmark trial, found the company responsible for harm to children’s mental health.

The decision follows an earlier March verdict from jurors who said Meta violated New Mexico’s consumer protection law by misleading users about the safety of its services for teens. That phase of the case resulted in $375 million in damages. In the latest ruling, Judge Bryan Biedscheid said most of the new award — $420 million — will go toward treatment services for young people, with the rest directed to awareness, prevention, screening and related costs over five years.

Prosecutors had sought broader changes, including tighter age verification, stronger default privacy settings and limits on addictive features. The judge ordered Meta to add clearer banner and information screens explaining safety tools and protections, and to repeat those notices regularly. Planned educational efforts in New Mexico will also be subject to state review.

Meta said it will appeal and disputed the claims, saying it remains confident in its record on teen safety. The case is being watched closely because similar lawsuits and policy efforts around youth online safety are unfolding across the United States.