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New Mexico Judge Orders Meta to Pay $567 Million Over Harm to Children

The judge’s ruling adds to a March $375 million jury award and forces money and product changes that could shape other state and federal cases.

Overview

  • The Santa Fe judge issued the remedies order on Thursday, Aug. 6, requiring Meta to place $567 million into a five‑year abatement fund and to implement youth‑safety measures.
  • The new fund brings Meta’s total New Mexico liability to about $942 million, with $420 million earmarked for treatment and the remainder for prevention, screening and coordination.
  • The court ordered specific platform changes including deleting accounts and personal data for users under 13, defaulting teen accounts to private, monthly usage caps for minors, limits on push notifications, and bans on sexualized interactions with Meta AI chatbots.
  • The judge said federal law (COPPA) prevents compulsory collection‑based age verification for under‑13s and instead required Meta to try to improve age‑assurance tools and attempt a dedicated under‑13 prediction model within two years.
  • Meta says it will appeal the decision, which legal observers call a possible bellwether that could influence the many other state and federal suits and prompt wider scrutiny of social media design and youth mental health.