New Mexico court orders Meta to pay $567m over harms to children’s mental health
Points and comments are a snapshot, not live.
New Mexico court orders Meta to pay $567m for harming children's mental health.
A New Mexico court ordered Meta to pay $567m into a fund to redress adverse mental health impacts on children from Facebook and Instagram. This adds to a $375m fine from a March jury verdict, totaling $942m. Judge Bryan Biedscheid allocated $420m for youth treatment services, with the rest for prevention and screening. The ruling also mandates safety features like limiting night-time notifications for under-18s and restricting usage to 90 hours per month. Meta plans to appeal.
What commenters are saying
Commenters are skeptical the fine will deter Meta, calling it a small fraction of annual profit and a "cost of doing business." Some argue the reputational damage is significant and that future judges may be harsher. A deep thread debates whether the underlying public-nuisance law is too broad, with some arguing parents should be responsible and others noting intense social pressure on kids to use social media. One commenter highlights the specific restrictions, predicting teens will just migrate to Snapchat.