Santa Fe, NM (KKOB) – A District Judge has ordered Meta to pay $567 million into a youth harm abatement fund after ruling that the company’s platforms created a “public nuisance” that severely harmed children and fueled a youth mental health crisis. This landmark decision follows an earlier phase of the trial where a jury hit Meta with $375 million in civil penalties, bringing the company’s total financial hit in the state to $942 million.
The is designed to address youth mental health, curb child exploitation, and fund public safety reforms over a five-year period.
Other orders as a result of the judge’s decision include:
- Nightly blackout: No push notifications from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Screen limits: Usage capped at 90 hours per month.
- Strict privacy: Default private profiles and restricted messaging from adults.
- Hidden metrics: “Like” counts are hidden on photos.
- Age checks: Forced removal of unverified users under 13 within 30 days.
Meta denies wrongdoing and plans to appeal the decision.
In a statement released by Meta to KOAT, it disagrees with the latest ruling and plans to appeal: “We disagree with the ruling and will appeal. 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.”
NM Attorney General Raul Torrez said in a statement, “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,” said Attorney General Raúl Torrez. “Today’s decision is a victory for every parent who has worried about what social media is doing to their child and every child who deserves to grow up safer online.”
