NEW MEXICO COURT ORDERS META TO PAY $567M OVER CHILD MENTAL HEALTH HARMS

A judge in New Mexico has ordered Meta to pay $567m and implement operational changes to its Facebook and Instagram platforms following findings that the company harmed children's mental health. Judge Bryan Biedscheid issued the ruling on Thursday as part of the second phase of a landmark trial. The order came after a jury found in March that Meta had violated the state's consumer protection law by misrepresenting the safety of its platforms for young users and had imposed a $375m fine at that stage.

Of the $567m awarded, $420m will fund treatment services for young people, with the remainder directed towards awareness campaigns, prevention initiatives and screening services over five years. Prosecutors had sought fundamental changes to Meta's operations, including restrictions on addictive features, improved age verification systems and enhanced child protection through default privacy settings and increased oversight. Judge Biedscheid ordered Facebook and Instagram to display banner and informational screens explaining their protection features, best practices and tools to address inappropriate comments, with these changes and an educational campaign subject to state review.

Meta stated it disagrees with the ruling and will appeal the decision. The company said it works to keep users safe and has been transparent about challenges in identifying and removing harmful actors and content. The trial marked the first case to find Meta liable for harms committed on its platforms, according to one account of the proceedings.