Judge Bryan Biedscheid delivered the order following a March jury verdict that initially found the tech giant liable for damages. The court’s requirements go beyond mere compensation, forcing Meta to purge accounts and personal data linked to users under 13. Furthermore, the platform must default teen accounts to private settings and disable push notifications for those under 18 during designated school hours and late-night windows. The judge also issued a specific prohibition against allowing New Mexico users to engage in romantic or sexualized interactions with the company’s AI chatbots.
Meta Faces $567 Million Penalty Over Teen Mental Health Risks
A New Mexico judge has ordered Meta to pay $567 million into a youth mental health fund, marking a significant escalation in the legal battle over the platform's impact on minors. Beyond the financial penalty, the ruling mandates strict structural changes to how the company manages teen accounts and data privacy.
In his written opinion, Biedscheid drew a sharp parallel between the company’s digital environment and a polluting factory, noting that the resulting harm spreads beyond the screen into the real world. While Meta maintains it prioritizes user safety and intends to appeal the decision, this ruling represents one of the most aggressive judicial interventions into the company's operational practices to date.
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