{
  "id": 313285,
  "title": "Meta Ordered to Pay $942 Million in New Mexico Child-Safety Lawsuit",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/07/meta-ordered-to-pay-942-million-in-new-mexico-child-safety-lawsuit",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-08-07T15:00:46.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Daring Fireball",
    "slug": "daring-fireball",
    "url": "https://www.wsj.com/tech/meta-ordered-to-pay-942-million-to-address-harm-to-kids-from-social-media-8ba5aab7?st=WwRP65"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A New Mexico judge has ordered Meta Platforms to pay over $900 million and impose restrictions on the time young users can spend on its apps, substantially boosting the cost of the landmark child safety verdict. The judge mandated the creation of a $567 million abatement fund alongside the $375 million in civil penalties that a jury had previously ordered. In addition to these measures, Meta must implement safety features such as limiting underage users' time on Facebook and Instagram, hiding the number of \"likes\" by default, and revealing to users the potential risks associated with the platforms.\n\nState Judge Bryan Biedscheid deemed the abatement fund creation \"necessary due to the wide-ranging impacts of the harm and the complex nature of the remedy.\" The fund's dollar amount falls slightly short of the $779.5 million sought by the state's attorneys. Meta expressed disagreement with the ruling and plans to appeal, while the next trial, initiated by four state attorneys general, is set to begin jury selection in Oakland, California, the following week. The lawsuit, which alleges more than $1 trillion in damages, was filed by the states involved in this case, which resulted in a judgment of approximately $1 billion for New Mexico alone. If this decision stands and sets a precedent nationwide, the financial implications could be significant. Despite the ruling, Meta's stock has seen a 1.5% increase so far today, with investors seemingly unalarmed about the potential consequences.",
  "summary": "Meghan Bobrowsky and Erin Mulvaney, reporting for The Wall Street Journal (gift link): A New Mexico judge ordered Meta Platforms to pay more than $900 million and limit the time young people in the state can spend on its apps, significantly increasing the cost of the landmark child safety verdict against the Facebook and Instagram parent. The judge said Thursday that Meta must create a new $567…",
  "key_points": [
    "Meta ordered to pay $942 million in New Mexico child-safety lawsuit",
    "Judge mandates $567 million abatement fund and $375 million civil penalties",
    "Meta must implement safety features to limit underage users' time on apps"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": "https://urgent.news/ill/313285.png",
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}