Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has been ordered to pay $567 million in a landmark child-safety ruling after a New Mexico court found that its platforms contributed to serious harm among young users.
Judge Bryan Biedscheid ruled on Thursday, August 6, 2026, that Meta had created a public nuisance in New Mexico through platform features that encouraged excessive engagement while failing to provide adequate protection against sexual exploitation and other dangers facing minors.
The latest $567 million order is separate from the $375 million in civil penalties imposed against Meta following an earlier jury verdict in March. Together, the two decisions bring the company’s total financial liability in the case to approximately $942 million.
Of the newly ordered amount, approximately $420 million will reportedly be directed toward treatment services for young people. The remaining funds will support awareness campaigns, prevention programs, screenings and other child-safety initiatives over a five-year period.
The court also ordered Meta to introduce major changes affecting young Facebook and Instagram users in New Mexico. These include tighter restrictions on notifications, limits on teenagers’ monthly platform usage, stronger controls over communication between adults and minors, added safeguards for artificial intelligence chatbots and improved reviews of reports involving child sexual abuse.
Meta will also be expected to strengthen its age-assurance systems, improve safety disclosures and provide regular updates showing whether it is complying with the judgment. Some proposed age-verification measures were limited because federal privacy laws restrict companies from collecting certain personal information from children under 13.
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez brought the lawsuit after accusing Meta of designing addictive features for young users and misrepresenting the level of safety available on its platforms. A jury previously determined that the company had willfully violated New Mexico’s consumer-protection law.
Meta has rejected the allegations and announced plans to appeal, maintaining that it has invested heavily in identifying harmful material and protecting teenagers online.
The explosive judgment is expected to place even greater pressure on social-media companies as states, schools and families across the United States demand stronger accountability for the effects of online platforms on children.
