New Mexico Judge Rules Meta Created 'Public Nuisance' Harming Children'

A New Mexico judge ruled Meta created a 'public nuisance' that harmed children's mental health, ordering the company to pay over half a billion dollars in damages and overhaul safety features on Facebook and Instagram. The ruling, issued Thursday by Judge Bryan Biedscheid in Santa Fe, orders Meta to pay $567 million (€492 million) and to change how Facebook and Instagram operate for young users in the state. The judge stated that the company created a 'public nuisance' that harmed children's mental health.

This award comes on top of $375 million in damages a jury ordered against Meta in March, bringing the company's total New Mexico liability to $942 million. That March verdict found Meta violated the state's consumer protection law by misleading the public about the safety of its platforms for children. State Attorney General Raul Torrez sued Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, in 2023. On Thursday, he said the ruling holds the company accountable for design choices that put children at risk.