Meta has been ordered to pay $567 million to support youth mental healthservices in New Mexico, bringing the company’s total financial liability in a state child safety case to nearly $942 million.
The latest penalty follows a March jury verdict that found Meta liable for misleading consumers about the safety of its social media platforms and exposing children to harm. Following that verdict, the company was assessed $375 million, representing the maximum penalties available for violations of New Mexico’s consumer protection laws.
In the trial’s final phase, Chief Judge Bryan Biedscheid determined that Meta bore legal responsibility for contributing to a youth mental health crisis in the state. The new funds are intended to provide treatment for young people reportedly harmed through Meta’s platforms and to finance mental health prevention and public awareness programs.
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez said the company had prioritized engagement and profit despite knowing about risks to children, including mental health harms and contact with predators.
Meta disputes the findings. Andy Stone, the company’s vice president of communications, said Meta plans to appeal. He stated that the company works to protect users, has acknowledged challenges involving harmful content and bad actors, and believes the claims misrepresent its safety record.
The court also imposed operational requirements. Meta must prevent accounts belonging to users under 18 from being recommended to adults and block minors from romantic or sexual interactions with the company’s artificial intelligence chatbots.
The chatbot provision follows reporting that Meta policies had permitted AI characters to engage children in romantic or sensual conversations. Those guidelines were later removed. Meta also temporarily restricted teenagers’ access to its AI characters while developing an updated experience intended for younger users in New Mexico.
