Meta Fined in New Mexico: $942 Million and a Ban on Likes for Minors

A court in New Mexico has dealt a new economic and legal blow to Meta, condemning the parent company of Facebook and Instagram to pay an additional $567 million for the damage caused to the mental health of minors through its platforms. The Meta fine in New Mexico, which came down on Thursday, is not an isolated incident: it adds to a previous penalty and brings the total to a figure that weighs heavily on the balance sheets and image of the company led by Mark Zuckerberg.

Summary

• Key points
• An additional fine of $567 million for Meta in New Mexico
• New rules to protect minors on Meta's platforms
• Meta announces an appeal, while the legal front expands in the United States
• FAQ
  • What fines has Meta been ordered to pay by the New Mexico court?
  • What changes to the platforms has the New Mexico court imposed to protect minors?
  • How has Meta responded to the New Mexico court's ruling?
  • What did the New Mexico Attorney General say about Meta's role in minors' safety?

Key Points {#Key_Points}

• The New Mexico court ordered Meta to pay $567 million, in addition to the $375 million already set in March.
• The total fines thus rise to $942 million.
• Meta will have to limit the visibility of Likes to those under 18, suspend nighttime notifications, and impose a usage cap of 90 hours per month.
• The judge spoke of a true "public nuisance" related to risks of sexual exploitation and youth mental health crises.
• Meta has announced an appeal, while the New Mexico Attorney General accused the company of prioritizing profit over minors' safety.

An Additional Fine of $567 Million for Meta in New Mexico {#An_Additional_Fine_of_$567_Million_for_Meta_in_New_Mexico}

The decision comes in the second phase of a trial that Meta had already lost in March, when a jury found that the company was aware of the risks to minors and had concealed information about the sexual exploitation of children on its platforms, imposing the maximum penalty of $375 million at that time. With the new ruling, the total that Meta is required to pay rises to $942 million.

According to reports, Judge Bryan Biedscheid determined that the largest portion of the sum, about $420 million, will fund treatment services for youth in New Mexico over the next five years. The remainder will be allocated to awareness-raising activities, prevention, screening, and other costs related to the damage repair program.

The judge acknowledged that Meta is not the only party responsible for the youth mental health crisis in the state, but emphasized that its platforms play a significant role in the phenomenon. The text of the order states that "a significant number of people in New Mexico suffer harm from Meta's products due to risks of sexual exploitation, interference with education, and negative mental health outcomes." For the court, this constitutes a true public nuisance that the company is now obligated to remedy.

New Rules to Protect Minors on Meta's Platforms {#New_Rules_to_Protect_Minors_on_Meta's_Platforms}

In addition to financial compensation, the court has imposed concrete changes on Meta's operation of Facebook and Instagram within the state. The company will have to remove the Like count or show it only to users under 18 with parental or guardian approval. Push notifications aimed at underage users in the state must be suspended between 10 PM and 7 AM, while the allowed usage time is set at 90 hours per month, about three hours a day.

The court also ordered Facebook and Instagram to build banners and informative screens that clearly explain the available protection features, good practices, and tools for reporting inappropriate comments. These changes, along with an educational campaign in the state, will be subject to review by New Mexico authorities.

On the age verification front, the court clarified that federal laws on minors' privacy prevent Meta from applying age-verification tools to children under 13, and it avoided imposing requirements that would be "unfair and unjustly harmful" to Meta compared to other social platforms. Instead, the company will need to continue refining its AI-based age estimation systems, which analyze signals such as friendships and consumed content, and must develop within two years a model dedicated to predicting users under 13. Meta will also need to collaborate with schools or organizations for child protection to create a reporting channel, delete personal data collected on users under 13, and report biannually on progress made.

Meta announces an appeal, while the legal front expands in the United States.

Meta has announced that it will appeal the ruling. The company's spokesperson, Andy Stone, stated in an email: "We work hard to keep people safe on our platforms and have been transparent about the challenges in identifying and removing bad actors and harmful content. We remain confident in our commitment to protecting teenagers online and will continue to defend ourselves against accusations that misrepresent the facts."

On the other side, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez used much harsher words: "For years, Meta has known that its platforms harm children in New Mexico, fueling a youth mental health crisis and connecting predators to minors, and has chosen engagement and profit over their safety." Torrez described the case as a battle to protect children and families, emphasizing that the ruling "forces real changes in the way Meta operates in New Mexico." In a broader statement, the attorney added that the decision represents a victory for every parent concerned about the impact of social media on their children.

This ruling should be viewed within a broader legal mosaic involving Meta across the country. The conviction in New Mexico follows another defeat suffered in Los Angeles in March, where a court had already found the company responsible for creating addictive usage patterns. Meta also faces a joint lawsuit brought by 33 states consolidated before a federal court in Oakland, California, in addition to separate proceedings initiated by other states like Tennessee.

The recurrence of unfavorable rulings in different jurisdictions tells a precise trend: American courts are progressively accepting the idea that social networks can be held civilly liable for how they design their features, not just for the content posted by users. For Meta, this means that economic sanctions could multiply state by state, while the operational obligations imposed in New Mexico—ranging from usage limits to restrictions on Likes—could become a benchmark for other prosecutors considering similar actions.

What fines has Meta been ordered to pay by the New Mexico court?

Meta must pay an additional fine of $567 million, which adds to the previously imposed $375 million, totaling $942 million.

What platform changes has the New Mexico court imposed to protect minors?

The court ordered Meta to remove or limit the visibility of Like counts for users under 18 without parental approval, to suspend push notifications between 10 PM and 7 AM, and to limit usage to 90 hours per month.

How did Meta respond to the New Mexico court ruling?

Meta announced that it will appeal the decision. Spokesperson Andy Stone stated that the company works hard to keep people safe and will continue to defend itself against accusations that, in his view, misrepresent the facts.

What did the New Mexico Attorney General say about Meta's role in child safety?

Attorney General Raúl Torrez accused Meta of prioritizing engagement and profit over the safety of New Mexico's children, calling the ruling a victory that holds the company accountable for the harm caused to families and schools.

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