New Mexico court orders Meta to pay additional $567M in child safety case

A New Mexico court judge ordered Meta to pay $567 million in additional fines on top of a previous $375 million penalty in a case about social media harms and addiction, bringing total fines to $942 million. The court also mandated that Meta remove Like counts from its platforms in the state, pause push notifications to minors between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., and limit their monthly usage to 90 hours. The judge determined that Meta's platforms cause significant harm to New Mexico residents through risks of sexual exploitation, educational interference, and adverse mental health outcomes, constituting a public nuisance that the company must abate. Meta said it plans to appeal, while state officials argued the judgment holds the company accountable for prioritizing engagement and profit over child safety, and the case follows similar losses the company has faced in other states.