New Mexico judge orders Meta to pay $567 million into a youth-harm fund

A New Mexico state judge ordered Meta to pay $567 million into a youth-harm abatement fund on Aug. 6, the remedy phase of a child-safety lawsuit the state filed against the company in 2023.

The order lands on top of $375 million in civil penalties a jury imposed in March, after finding Meta violated New Mexico’s Unfair Trade Practices Act and knowingly harmed children’s mental health. Together, the state has now extracted more than $940 million from the company in State of New Mexico v. Meta.

Of the $567 million, $420 million is earmarked for treatment services for young people, with the remainder going to awareness, prevention and screening programs, according to the attorney general’s statement on the final judgment.

New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez said the judgment “holds the company accountable for the damage it caused to our children, our families, and our schools.”

A Meta spokesperson said the company disagrees with the ruling and plans to appeal.

The case is one of the more aggressive state efforts to convert consumer-protection law into penalties over platform design and its effect on minors. Judge Bryan Biedscheid handled the remedy phase, and an appeal would push a final resolution well past 2026, testing the reach of such statutes for other states weighing similar suits.