New Mexico First Judicial District Judge Bryan Biedscheid at the end of the day Thursday issued a ruling in the state's pending case against social media giant Meta, ordering the company to pay $567 million for an abatement fund to address the harms it has done to the state's youth.
The case, which ended with written closing arguments in mid-June centered on the New Mexico Department of Justice's allegations that Meta's platforms — including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp — constitute a "public nuisance" to teen health within the state. Among its list of demands, NMDOJ requested the court order the company to operate differently for its youth users; issue monetary relief; and appoint an independent monitor.
The juryless bench trial followed a Santa Fe jury's March 24 verdict finding Meta violated New Mexico's Unfair Practices Act, and misled the public on the risks of its sites for underage users' mental health and risk of sexual exploitation. The verdict, which Meta said it would appeal, ordered the company to pay $375 million in damages.
In his decision, Biedscheid said Meta's obligations to the abatement fund would last for five years, and include written reports on a semiannual basis as to the status and progress of its compliance with each of the abatement measures the court ordered.
In a news release Thursday evening, the New Mexico Department of Justice said the court's order "requires real, structural changes, not just promises, and provides the resources New Mexico needs to begin repairing the damage caused by Meta's conduct."
The case, Attorney General Raúl Torrez said in a statement, "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. 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."
This breaking news story will be updated.