New Mexico judge orders Meta to pay $567 million in child harm case
Why it matters: The ruling lifts Meta’s total liability in the state to $942 million and labels its platforms a public nuisance.
A New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay $567 million into an abatement fund after finding Facebook and Instagram contributed to harms against children, adding to $375 million in civil penalties imposed earlier this year. The combined total reaches $942 million. Judge Bryan Biedscheid said Meta’s platforms amounted to a public nuisance, a rare application of that legal theory to internet services. Court filings said $420 million of the new fund will go to treatment, with the rest supporting prevention, screening and related services over five years. The case grew out of a 2023 lawsuit by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez. Meta said it will appeal.