Meta has been ordered to pay an additional $567 million in a landmark child safety case in New Mexico, bringing the social media giant’s total penalties in the case to $942 million.
The ruling by New Mexico District Judge Bryan Biedscheid adds to the $375 million civil penalty imposed earlier in the case. It also requires Meta to introduce a series of new measures aimed at protecting children and teenagers on Facebook and Instagram.
The latest judgment is one of the biggest financial penalties Meta has faced over child safety and marks a significant legal setback for the company. The judge also declared Meta’s platforms a “public nuisance”, saying the harm associated with them extends beyond individual users and affects families, schools, healthcare providers and law enforcement.
The case was brought by the state of New Mexico in 2023 after an investigation into the way Meta’s platforms handled young users and child safety. Authorities alleged that Facebook and Instagram exposed children to sexually explicit material and enabled contact between minors and sexual predators.
The case focused heavily on Meta’s recommendation systems, which determine what content and accounts users see. Prosecutors argued that the company’s algorithms could direct young users towards harmful material and interactions despite concerns about the safety of children on its platforms.
During the first phase of the trial, a New Mexico jury found that Meta had violated the state’s consumer protection laws. The company was ordered to pay $375 million in civil penalties. The latest phase dealt with measures intended to prevent further harm and address the wider consequences identified by the court.
Under the latest order, $420 million of the new $567 million amount will be used for treatment programmes and behavioural health services for children affected by social media-related harm. The remaining funds will support awareness campaigns and training for teachers and healthcare professionals.
The court has also ordered Meta to make significant changes to its platforms. Adults will be restricted from messaging minors or receiving recommendations for accounts belonging to users under 18. The company must also block the exchange of nude images involving minors and introduce a one-strike policy for adults involved in child sexual exploitation.
Other measures target how teenagers interact with Meta’s platforms. The company has been ordered to remove “like” counts for users under 18, limit push notifications during night-time and school hours and restrict minors to 90 hours of combined monthly use across Facebook and Instagram.
The ruling also calls for stronger age-verification measures and privacy protections. However, implementing age checks remains a complicated issue for technology companies because of privacy requirements and limitations under federal law.
For Meta, the financial cost is only one part of the problem. The company now faces pressure to change aspects of the design and operation of its social media platforms while dealing with growing scrutiny from regulators, lawmakers and parents.
Meta said it disagreed with the ruling and plans to appeal. The company has maintained that it is committed to protecting young users and has invested heavily in systems designed to detect and remove harmful content.
The company’s defence is likely to remain important as similar legal challenges continue to develop across the United States. The New Mexico case could become an important reference point for other lawsuits involving social media companies and allegations of harm to children.
The ruling comes as concerns over social media and youth mental health continue to grow. Researchers, parents and policymakers have increasingly questioned whether features such as algorithmic recommendations, notifications and highly personalised content can encourage excessive use among teenagers.
The New Mexico judge’s decision goes further by treating the alleged harm as a broader public issue rather than simply a matter between individual users and a technology company.
That approach could have wider implications for the social media industry. If other courts adopt similar reasoning, companies such as Meta could face greater pressure to redesign products, strengthen age verification and introduce stricter controls for minors.
Meta also faces thousands of other lawsuits in the United States involving claims related to social media and young users. Another major case involving multiple states is expected to add to the legal pressure on technology companies over child safety.
For investors and the wider technology industry, the case highlights a growing regulatory risk. Social media companies may have to spend more on content moderation, age assurance, privacy controls and child protection systems. They could also face additional financial liabilities if courts determine that existing safeguards were inadequate.
At the same time, stricter rules could influence how social media platforms generate engagement. Features designed to keep users active for longer periods could face increased scrutiny when they involve teenagers.
The New Mexico ruling therefore represents more than a financial penalty for Meta. It signals a tougher legal environment for technology companies whose platforms are widely used by children.
The company’s appeal could determine whether the judgment survives further legal review. Until then, Meta will have to prepare for the implementation of the court-ordered safeguards while continuing to defend its existing child safety measures.
For parents and child-safety advocates, the ruling provides a major legal acknowledgement of concerns surrounding social media and minors. For Meta and other technology companies, it sends a clear warning that failures in protecting young users can carry significant financial and operational consequences.