SAN FRANCISCO: A US state court has ordered Meta to pay $567 million and limit some features for children on its Facebook and Instagram platforms, saying the social media giant had created a “public nuisance” that endangered young users.

The ruling in New Mexico on Thursday adds to a previous fine of $375m in the same case in March, when a jury found the social media giant liable for making youths vulnerable to predators on its platforms.

While Meta said it would appeal, the decision sets a precedent at a time when dozens of other US states are pursuing lawsuits alleging harm to children and their mental health, including a major trial against Meta set to open in California next week.

“Today’s decision is a victory for every parent who has worried about what social media is doing to their child and every child who deserves to grow up safer online,” New Mexico’s attorney general Raul Torrez said.

“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.”

It was the first time a US court has found a social media firm guilty of creating a “public nuisance”, amid thousands of lawsuits claiming Meta had put children at risk.

Around three-fourths of the $567m payment ordered will be earmarked for a mental health treatment fund, to be paid over five years.

The remainder will be allocated to programmes for “awareness and prevention” of potential dangers to youths and ensuring Meta implements the ordered changes.

Judge Bryan Biedscheid said in his ruling that teenagers were particularly susceptible to features designed to capture and boost engagement such as autoplay, infinite scrolling, “like” counts, push notifications and algorithmic recommendations.

Published in Dawn, August 8th, 2026