Meta Fined $567 Million Over Teen Safety Failures
A New Mexico court has ordered Meta to pay $567 million after ruling that the company failed to adequately protect teenage users on Facebook and Instagram. Chief District Court Judge Bryan Biedscheid said the state is facing a youth mental health crisis and described Meta’s platforms as a major contributing factor.
Second Phase of a Two-Part Case
The penalty follows a two-phase lawsuit brought by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez. The first phase, decided by a jury in March, found Meta liable for failing to shield young users from child predators, resulting in $375 million in damages. Combined with the latest ruling, Meta’s total financial liability in the case now stands at $942 million, with the money directed toward youth support, awareness, and prevention programs.
New Safety Requirements Ordered
Beyond the fine, Judge Biedscheid ordered Meta to expand youth safety tools in New Mexico, make under-18 profiles private by default, and block adults from connecting with teens. The company must also disable push notifications for minors overnight and during school hours, hide like counts for under-18 users by default, and cap teen usage at no more than 90 hours a month across both apps.
The ruling additionally pushes Meta to strengthen age-verification efforts, requiring the company to delete accounts belonging to users under 13 who fail to verify their age within 30 days. Enforcement remains a key uncertainty — early data from Australia’s teen social media ban suggests many minors have found ways around age-detection systems or continued using platforms without accounts.
Meta spokesman Andy Stone said the company plans to appeal the decision and maintains confidence in its record on protecting teenagers online.