A New Mexico court judge ordered Meta to pay an additional $567 million fine on Thursday in a child safety case, pushing the company's total penalties in the state to $942 million. The ruling also forces Meta to overhaul how its platforms treat underage users in New Mexico, including removing Like counts and limiting nightly notifications.
The new fine stacks on top of a $375 million penalty levied in March in the same case. Combined, the two judgments amount to $942 million, one of the largest state-level penalties ever imposed on the social media giant.
What the Court Ordered
The judge's order goes beyond the fine. Meta must remove Like counts on its platforms in New Mexico. Like counts and similar metrics can only be shown to children under 18 with parental or guardian approval.
Push notifications to underage users in New Mexico must be paused between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. Underage users' usage in the state is limited to 90 hours per month, which works out to roughly 3 hours per day. That cap equals about $1.28 per hour of the fine, a figure that underscores the scale of the penalty relative to time spent on the platforms.
The court order stated that "significant numbers of people in New Mexico experience harm from Meta's products due to risks of sexual exploitation, interference with education, and adverse mental health outcomes." The judge acknowledged Meta is not the only platform causing a youth mental health crisis but said Meta's platforms play a significant part. The judge ruled that Meta caused a significant "public nuisance" in New Mexico and must abate it.
Meta Says It Will Appeal
Meta plans to appeal the judgment. Spokesperson Andy Stone defended the company's record.
"We work hard to keep people safe on our platforms and have been transparent about the challenges of identifying and removing bad actors and harmful content. We remain confident in our record of protecting teens online and will continue to defend ourselves against claims that misrepresent the facts," Stone said.
The appeal means the fines and platform changes are not yet final. Still, the ruling marks a sharp escalation in the state's fight with the company over child safety. The $567 million fine alone dwarfs the $330 million Meta spent on child safety initiatives last year, a comparison that highlights the financial weight of the judgment.
Attorney General's Response
New Mexico State Attorney General Raul Torrez, who brought the case, framed the ruling as a long-overdue reckoning.
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"For years, Meta knew its platforms were harming New Mexico's kids, from feeding a youth mental health crisis to connecting predators with children, and it chose engagement and profit over their safety," Torrez said.
He added: "Today, Meta is paying for that choice. This judgment holds the company accountable for the damage it caused to our children, our families, and our schools, and it forces real changes to how Meta operates in New Mexico."
Torrez's office has pursued the case since 2023, alleging that Meta's algorithms and design choices exposed minors to harmful content and predators. The $942 million total includes the $375 million from March and the new $567 million, with the latter figure representing a fine of $28,350 per day since the case began.
A Broader Legal Storm
The New Mexico ruling follows a loss in Los Angeles in March, where a court ruled against Meta for creating addictive patterns. That case added to the company's mounting legal exposure.
Meta faces other cases across the U.S., including a joint lawsuit by 33 states consolidated in Oakland, California federal court. Tennessee and other states have brought their own cases against Meta as well.
The company has consistently denied that its platforms cause harm and has pointed to its safety tools and parental controls. Courts in multiple jurisdictions, however, have allowed the lawsuits to proceed.
The New Mexico order applies only within the state, but it could influence how other judges weigh similar claims. The 90-hour monthly cap and the Like count restriction are specific to New Mexico, yet they signal a willingness by courts to impose structural changes, not just monetary penalties. The $1 per hour cost of the fine for each of the 90 hours per month adds a tangible dimension to the penalty.
Meta's appeal will likely delay any enforcement. In the meantime, the company continues to face scrutiny from regulators, lawmakers, and families across the country.
The case adds to a growing list of legal and regulatory pressures on Meta, which also includes antitrust claims and privacy investigations. The company's stock has held steady, but the cumulative fines and mandates are mounting.
For New Mexico families, the ruling offers a concrete set of changes, if they survive appeal. For Meta, it is another front in a widening war over how social media treats children.