New Mexico Seeks $953 Million From Meta After Child-Safety Verdict
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jun 17
New Mexico Seeks $953 Million From Meta After Child-Safety Verdict
1 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 17
Summary
$953 million is the new penalty New Mexico wants a court to force Meta to pay into a fund for public education and behavioral health work after last month's jury verdict.
A jury already found Meta liable for endangering children and misleading the public about platform safety, and ordered the maximum $5,000 per violation under the state's Unfair Practices Act, totaling $375 million.
Attorney General Raúl Torrez argued Meta chose profits over children's safety, ignored internal warnings, and designed Facebook and Instagram features that enabled predators, addiction, self-harm content and eating-disorder material.
The state's latest abatement request is more than 90% below its initial demand, while Meta says the case relies on overreaching mandates that could undermine teen safety, parental rights and free expression.
Can Meta be forced to prioritize child safety, or is addiction a feature that's simply too profitable to remove?
With New Mexico's landmark verdict, is the legal shield protecting social media from its own harmful designs about to shatter?
New Mexico’s $375 Million Verdict Against Meta: A Landmark Case for Youth Safety and Social Media Regulation
Overview
New Mexico secured a historic jury verdict against Meta Platforms in March 2026 after a six-week trial that exposed serious safety concerns on Meta’s platforms, with testimony from teachers, investigators, and whistle-blowers. This was the first time a jury ruled on such claims against Meta, highlighting the company’s responsibility for the mental health impact on young users. As of June 17, 2026, the case has moved to a bench trial phase, where the focus is on remedies that could set new standards for social media safety, potentially influencing tech regulation nationwide.