After the $375 million youth-safety verdict against Meta, New Mexico courts added a $567 million abatement order and a second jury found 43.9 million additional violations. Total court-ordered liability reached $942 million, with the state seeking billions more at an October penalty hearing. The first verdict came in March 2026, when a Santa Fe jury found Meta misled users about youth safety on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Reuters reported the $375 million penalty under the Unfair Practices Act, the state law against deceptive business acts, in the Reuters report.
Table of Contents
- How did $375 million become $942 million?
- What must change for teen accounts?
- Where will the extra $567 million go?
- What did the second September trial decide?
- Can you file a claim for payment?
How did $375 million become $942 million?
On Aug. 6, 2026, Judge Bryan Biedscheid found Meta's platforms a public nuisance and ordered $567 million into a teen mental-health abatement fund. A public nuisance is conduct that harms public health or safety.
An abatement fund pays for cleanup and services, not checks to individuals. The New Mexico Department of Justice said the new order brought total liability to $942 million in the Department announcement. That total combines the March jury penalty and the August court order. Meta said it disagreed, pointed to removed exploitation material and teen-account tools, and said it will appeal.
What must change for teen accounts?
The August order requires five years of New Mexico-only protections for accounts held by users under 18. Like counts are hidden by default.
Monthly use is capped at 90 hours. Push notifications must pause overnight and during school hours. For a New Mexico teen, that means no late-night prompts, no classroom pings, and no public Like tally unless the setting is changed.
Where will the extra $567 million go?
About $420 million is earmarked for youth treatment services in New Mexico. The remainder supports prevention, screening, awareness and oversight programs.
The structure matters for compensation readers. The money funds state services and program administration. It does not create a user settlement fund.
What did the second September trial decide?
On Sept. 25, 2026, a second Santa Fe jury found 26 privacy, hate-speech and Cambridge Analytica statements were false or misleading. PPC Land, citing Bloomberg Law, reported 43,899,720 willful violations of the same state law in the trial report.
That count then moved to penalty-setting. New Mexico asked Judge Francis Mathew to impose $35-$40 billion at the Oct. 1 hearing. The $5,000 per-violation maximum implies about $219.5 billion, with the judge to set the final amount.
Can you file a claim for payment?
Neither verdict pays individual users directly. Funds go to state programs, although
Postal Service”>Attorney General
- Do not expect a payout notice from the $375 million, $567 million, or September verdict.
- Keep records of New Mexico residence, account use, and any costs tied to youth harm if you later consult a lawyer.
- Watch for a separate private settlement or court-approved claims process before sharing personal data.
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