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 by Judge Bryan Biedscheid in Santa Fe on Thursday, August 7th, 2026, found that Meta created a public nuisance in New Mexico by harming children's mental health.

The court's decree requires Meta to implement a series of youth-safety measures for users in the state. These include monthly limits on teenagers' use of Facebook and Instagram, restrictions on notifications, tighter controls on adult contact with minors, safeguards for AI chatbots, and enhanced review processes for reports of child sexual abuse. The $567 million payment is primarily designated for treatment services for young people and the decree will remain in effect for five years.

The case was brought 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. Judge Biedscheid heard three weeks of testimony during the second phase of this landmark trial, which proceeded without a jury.

Meta has announced it will 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 stated it has been working to identify and remove harmful content from its platforms.

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