Meta ordered to pay $567M in child safety case

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White House headlines - August 7, 2026

White House headlines - August 7, 2026

A New Mexico court on Thursday ordered Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta to pay $567 million after determining it contributed to the “teen mental health crisis” in the state.

The order adds to the $375 million in civil penalties Meta was ordered to pay in the first phase of the trial after a jury found the technology giant violated New Mexico’s Unfair Practices Act. The law prohibits unfair, deceptive and misleading business ventures across the state.

The $567 million will help fund New Mexico’s abatement plan, according to state Attorney General Raúl Torrez (D).

In a ruling Thursday night, Judge Bryan Biedscheid said $420 million of the order will go to treatment, while $90 million will go to mental health screenings and assessments and the remainder towards awareness and prevention campaigns, coordination and “quality improvement and evaluation.”

“Although Meta is not alone in this regard, its social media platforms are a significant contributing factor to the current mental health crisis among New Mexico’s........

© The Hill