A New Mexico court has ordered Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, to pay $567 million to address harms to young people from its platforms. The ruling, issued on August 7, 2026, follows a lawsuit filed by the state alleging that Meta's platforms contributed to a youth mental health crisis.
The court found that Meta's design features, such as infinite scroll and notification algorithms, were intentionally addictive and harmful to minors. The payment will fund programs aimed at mental health support and online safety for young users in New Mexico.
Meta has said it will appeal the decision, arguing that its platforms have safety measures in place and that the company has invested in parental controls and age verification tools. The case is part of broader legal actions against social media companies over their impact on youth.
