A New Mexico judge has fined Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, $567 million for damaging children’s mental health with new mandates designed to regulate children’s access to social media.

PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: A New Mexico state judge has ordered Meta to pay a $567 million fine for harm caused to children’s mental health by the company’s social media platforms. DETAIL: Judge Bryan Biedscheid’s 68-page ruling directed Meta to pay $420 million for treatment services for children, with the rest allocated to prevention and awareness initiatives. “The Court finds that the weight of the evidence presented demonstrates that Meta’s platforms are a cause of and substantial contributing factor to the youth mental health crisis in New Mexico,” wrote Judge Biedscheid. The court ordered Meta to delete the accounts of users under 13 and to disable push notifications for minors between 8 AM and 3 PM during the academic year and between 10 PM and 7 AM on normal days. The ruling requires that like counts remain hidden unless authorized by a parent. This follows a $375 million fine imposed on the company earlier this year for violations of New Mexico’s Unfair Practices Act, which prohibits deceptive business practices. “This case has always been about protecting children, standing up for families, and making sure that one of the world’s largest technology companies cannot profit from practices that endanger young people without consequence,” New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez (D) said in a statement. Meta is the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. KEY QUOTE: “We remain confident in our record of protecting teens online and will continue to defend ourselves against claims that misrepresent the facts,” said Meta spokesman Andy Stone. IMPACT: Meta plans to appeal the decision. Specifically, Meta maintains that it has already implemented measures to protect minors from harmful content. The ruling could set a precedent for holding tech companies accountable for their platforms’ effects on children’s mental health. This represents a wider push by governments across the West, such as the United Kingdom and the European Union, to regulate access to social media, allegedly to protect children. FLASHBACK: Back in June, Meta filed for a federal court contempt order against Israeli spyware firm NSO Group. Meta alleged that the Israeli spyware firm had violated a permanent injunction by targeting users on WhatsApp.

Image by Anthony Quintano.

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