A New Mexico state court has ordered Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, to pay $567 million USD (approximately $806 million AUD) to address harms caused to young people by its social media platforms. The ruling, delivered on Thursday, August 7th, 2026, found Meta liable for creating a public nuisance by harming children's mental health.

Judge Bryan Biedscheid, presiding in Santa Fe, stated that the majority of the funds will be allocated to treatment services for young people. The court also mandated Meta to implement a series of youth safety measures, including monthly usage limits for teens on Facebook and Instagram, restrictions on notifications, tighter controls on adult interactions with minors, safeguards for AI chatbots, and enhanced review processes for reports of child sexual abuse. These measures will be enforced under a five-year decree.

The case was brought forward by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez, who accused Meta of designing its products to addict young users and failing to protect children from sexual exploitation on its platforms.

Meta responded by announcing its intention to appeal the ruling. In a statement, the company said, "We remain confident in our record of protecting teens online and will continue to defend ourselves against claims that misrepresent the facts." Meta also noted ongoing efforts to identify and remove harmful content from its platforms.

The ruling followed three weeks of testimony during the second phase of a landmark trial, which was conducted without a jury.

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