Overview
- The judge ruled Thursday that Meta must pay $567 million into a five‑year abatement fund and put New Mexico‑specific safety measures in place for users under 18.
- About $420 million of the fund is reserved for treatment services for young people while the remainder is for prevention, screening, awareness and related programs.
- Court-ordered product changes include tighter age‑assurance steps, a 90‑hour‑per‑month cap for under‑18 users, limits on push notifications during school and overnight hours, hiding like counts by default for minors, and bans on sexualized chatbot interactions with minors.
- The $567 million judgment follows a March jury award of $375 million, bringing New Mexico’s total penalties to roughly $942 million, but Meta has said it will appeal so payment and enforcement may be delayed or contested.
- The ruling uses a public‑nuisance theory more often applied to pollution or public‑health cases and could serve as a blueprint for dozens of pending suits while a separate multi‑state federal trial in California proceeds later this month.