A New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay $567 million into an abatement fund on August 6-7, 2026, related to claims that the company created a public nuisance and harmed children through its platforms Facebook and Instagram [1, 2, 3, 4]. This fund is in addition to an earlier $375 million civil penalty Meta paid in March 2026 for violating New Mexico's Unfair Practices Act by endangering children [1, 2, 3, 4].
The ordered $567 million will be spent over five years, with roughly $420 million dedicated to mental health treatment. Remaining funds are aimed at programs for awareness, prevention, screening, referral, coordination, implementation, and evaluation [1, 2, 4]. WhatsApp, also owned by Meta, was ruled not to have contributed to the public nuisance and will not face mandated changes [1, 2, 4].
Judge Bryan Biedscheid likened Meta’s social media platforms to "factories," saying, "their content like products, and the psychological harm and sexual exploitation of children on those platforms like pollution that migrates to the real world" [2, 4]. He added the platforms are a significant factor in New Mexico’s youth mental health crisis established by evidence in the case [2].
The ruling requires Meta to adopt safety measures, including making Instagram accounts private by default for users under 18 and limiting Facebook under-18 users’ friend lists to others under 18 [2, 4].
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez filed the lawsuit in 2023 after an undercover investigation showed a fake 13-year-old profile on Meta platforms received numerous solicitations from child abusers [1, 2, 4]. Torrez said, "This case has always been about protecting children, standing up for families, and making sure that one of the world’s largest technology companies cannot profit from practices that endanger young people without consequence" [1].
Meta disagrees with the ruling and said it will appeal. A company statement said, "We work hard to keep people safe on our platforms and have been transparent about the challenges of identifying and removing bad actors and harmful content" [1, 3, 4]. In its second-quarter financial report, Meta noted the New Mexico AG seeks penalties up to $62.85 billion in the case [2].
Meta warned the demands might force it to withdraw its apps entirely from New Mexico, a claim described as a PR move by the AG’s office [4].
The ruling followed a trial phase that began in May 2026, after a March 2026 jury verdict found Meta liable for the unfair practices violation [2]. Meta must now implement the mandated safety changes and fund the abatement programs over the coming five years [1].
