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 responsible for harming children's mental health and declared the company had created a public nuisance in New Mexico.

Judge Bryan Biedscheid in Santa Fe ruled in favor of 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. The judge mandated a series of youth-safety measures including monthly limits on teens' use of Facebook and Instagram, restrictions on notifications, tighter controls on adult contact with minors, safeguards for AI chatbots, and enhanced review of child sexual abuse reports. These measures and the financial decree will remain in place for five years.

Judge Biedscheid stated that the majority of the funds will be allocated to treatment services for young people. The ruling followed three weeks of testimony during the second phase of the trial, which proceeded without a jury.

Meta has announced it will appeal the ruling, emphasizing its ongoing efforts to identify and remove harmful content. In a statement, Meta said, "We remain confident in our record of protecting teens online and will continue to defend ourselves against claims that misrepresent the facts."

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