New Mexico court orders Meta to pay additional $567M in child safety case

A New Mexico court has ordered Meta to pay an additional $567 million in fines, as part of a case concerning social media hazards and addiction. This brings the total fines Meta owes to $942 million. The court further mandated changes to Meta's platforms, including the removal of Like counts, showing such metrics only to children under 18 with parental or guardian approval, and limiting push notifications to underaged users between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. Additionally, Meta's usage should be capped at 90 hours per month, roughly three hours daily.

The court acknowledged the widespread harm experienced by New Mexico residents due to Meta's products, particularly risks of sexual exploitation, interference with education, and adverse mental health outcomes. While acknowledging Meta is not the sole platform contributing to the youth mental health crisis in the state, the court deemed its platforms a significant contributor.

The judge ruled that Meta has caused a substantial "public nuisance" in New Mexico and is obligated to rectify this. Meta announced it would appeal the judgment, stating their commitment to platform safety and transparency in identifying and removing harmful content. State Attorney General Raul Torrez criticized Meta for knowingly causing harm to New Mexico's children, stating the company chose profits over safety.

The ruling follows another loss in Los Angeles where the court also found Meta responsible for creating addictive patterns. Meta faces numerous other legal cases across the country, including a joint lawsuit by 33 states in an Oakland, California federal court, and additional cases from states like Tennessee.