Mexico Judge Yesterday Ordered Meta to Pay $567 Million for a Fund That Would Alleviate the "Public Nuisance" Created by Its Social Media

The order to pay for youth mental health care is in addition to $375 million in civil penalties that a jury ordered Meta to pay earlier in the same case. New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez sued Meta in a Santa Fe County court in 2023. A jury found in March 2026 that Meta's social media platforms do not effectively protect kids from child exploitation and ordered the company to pay civil damages for violating state consumer protections and misleading parents about the safety of its apps. The jury trial was just phase 1 of the case involving Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The Phase 1 jury trial considered the State’s Unfair Practices Act claims and resulting civil penalties.