New Mexico judge rules Meta platforms created public nuisance, orders $567 million payment and teen safety overhaul

A New Mexico state judge found that Meta's Facebook and Instagram were designed to encourage excessive use among teenagers while failing to protect them from sexual exploitation, ruling the platforms constituted a public nuisance. The decision, handed down after three weeks of testimony in a case brought by New Mexico's attorney general, requires Meta to pay $567 million in damages and comply with a five-year court order that mandates monthly use limits for teens, restrictions on engagement-driven notifications, tighter controls between adults and minors, additional safeguards for AI chatbots interacting with young users, and enhanced procedures for reviewing reports of child sexual abuse. This ruling caps the second phase of the case—a jury had previously found Meta liable and awarded $375 million in the first phase—and Meta said it plans to appeal, asserting it has invested heavily in teen safety and content moderation.

1. New Mexico Judge Bryan Biedscheid ruled Meta created a public nuisance in the state
2. Meta must pay $567 million and comply with a five-year court order
3. The decree requires monthly limits on teens' Facebook and Instagram use, restricted engagement notifications, and tighter controls on adult-minor contact
4. The ruling also mandates additional safeguards for AI chatbots and enhanced review procedures for child sexual abuse reports
5. Meta said it intends to appeal the ruling
6. A jury previously awarded $375 million in damages in the first phase of the case in March 2026