New Mexico orders Meta to pay $567 million for youth health

A New Mexico judge has ordered Meta to pay an additional $567 million into a fund to address youth mental health harms, a ruling that compares the social media giant to a polluting factory and mandates significant changes to how its platforms treat underage users. The decision, issued on Thursday, August 6, 2026, by Chief District Court Judge Bryan Biedscheid, follows a jury verdict in March that found Meta liable for deceptive practices and ordered the company to pay $375 million in civil penalties.

The new $567 million fund is intended to support a five-year program for awareness, prevention, screening, and treatment services related to youth mental health, with the largest portion, $420 million, allocated specifically for treatment. The ruling stems from a lawsuit filed by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez in 2023, which argued that Meta’s platforms, particularly Facebook and Instagram, created a public nuisance that contributed to a youth mental health crisis and facilitated child exploitation.

In his ruling, Judge Biedscheid stated that Meta’s harmful effects on children do not stay confined to its platforms but migrate to the broader internet and the real world,...