A New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay $567 million into a fund to remediate harm its Facebook and Instagram apps caused to children, The Washington Post reported Aug. 6.
The ruling adds to Meta’s losses in court this year as judges and juries weigh whether its platforms pose a danger to children. Meta and other social media companies face lawsuits from states, school districts and young people targeting the design of their platforms and algorithms.
Here are four things to know:
1. Judge Bryan Biedscheid found that teenagers in New Mexico were in the midst of a mental health crisis and that Meta’s platforms were a “significant contributing cause.” He wrote that the platforms “create a public nuisance because their purpose and effect is to optimize engagement, including in ways that are detrimental to teenagers’ health and safety.”
2. The bulk of the $567 million payout would fund mental health treatment and education. Democratic New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez brought the case against Meta, alleging its apps put children at risk.
3. The ruling followed a $375 million verdict against Meta in March 2026 during an earlier phase of the New Mexico case. A Los Angeles jury also sided in March 2026 with a young woman who alleged she suffered depression after becoming hooked on Facebook and Instagram due to Meta’s negligence.
4. Meta said it would appeal. “We remain confident in our record of protecting teens online and will continue to defend ourselves against claims that misrepresent the facts,” the company said in a statement to the Post.
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