Meta ordered to pay $942 million over child safety harms
A New Mexico judge ordered Meta Platforms to pay more than $900 million and to limit the time young people in the state can spend on its apps, sharply raising the cost of a landmark child safety verdict already returned against the Facebook and Instagram parent. Ruling on Thursday, the judge ordered Meta to create a new $567 million abatement fund, on top of $375 million in civil penalties a jury had previously ordered, for a combined total of $942 million. Alongside the payment, the judge required Meta to enact specific safety changes for underage users in New Mexico: limiting how much time they can spend on Facebook and Instagram, hiding by default the number of "likes" shown on their photos, and disclosing to them the risks of using its platforms. The ruling builds on the prior jury verdict rather than replacing it; the new fund and the required product changes are additional consequences layered on top of the original penalties.
Key facts
- A New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay a combined $942 million.
- That total includes a new $567 million abatement fund ordered by the judge.
- It also includes $375 million in civil penalties a jury had previously ordered.
- Meta must limit how much time underage users in New Mexico can spend on Facebook and Instagram.
- Meta must hide the "likes" count by default for underage users and disclose platform risks to them.
Why it matters
The ruling substantially raises the financial and operational cost of the child safety case against Meta, adding a new $567 million abatement fund on top of the $375 million a jury had already ordered the company to pay. Combined with required product changes, it turns a civil-penalty verdict into a broader mandate over how Meta runs Facebook and Instagram for young users in the state.
Who it affects
Meta Platforms bears the payment and must change its products. Underage users of Facebook and Instagram in New Mexico are the direct beneficiaries of the new safety requirements, since the mandated changes apply specifically to them: capped usage time, hidden like counts, and risk disclosures.
How to use it
For underage users in New Mexico, the practical effect is a Facebook and Instagram experience with enforced time limits, like counts hidden by default, and an explicit disclosure of platform risks. There is no indication in the source that these changes extend beyond New Mexico or beyond underage accounts.
How solid is it
The figures come from a Wall Street Journal report citing the judge's Thursday order, and the two component amounts, $567 million and $375 million, sum exactly to the $942 million headline figure. The report does not name the judge, the court, the plaintiffs, or the case, and gives no deadline for when Meta must pay the fund or implement the safety features.
Risks and caveats
The article does not describe the underlying child safety verdict beyond referencing it, so the full basis for the jury's original $375 million penalty is not detailed here. No response or statement from Meta is included in the source, and it is unclear whether Meta intends to appeal any part of the order.