A New Mexico state court judge has ordered Meta to pay $942 million in total penalties after declaring the company’s social media platforms a “public nuisance.” Judge Bryan Biedscheid issued the ruling on August 7, comparing Facebook and Instagram’s impact on children’s mental health to the way a polluting factory contaminates the air.
How the penalties stack up
The $942 million figure didn’t arrive all at once. Back in March 2026, a jury found Meta liable for misleading consumers about the safety of its platforms for children, awarding $375 million in damages. The August 7 ruling tacked on another $567 million, designated for an abatement fund focused on youth mental health treatment, prevention, and awareness programs in New Mexico.
Of the newly imposed funds, approximately $420 million is earmarked specifically for youth mental health treatment services.
Judge Biedscheid pointed to specific platform features as contributing factors to a mental health crisis among young people in the state. Recommendation algorithms, endless scrolling, and design choices engineered to maximize engagement all came under scrutiny.
