Meta ordered to pay $567 million into abatement fund as remedy to child harms case in New Mexico

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, is seen in the U.S. Capitol after a meeting in the office of Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., March 26, 2026.Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty ImagesMeta was ordered to pay $567 million into an abatement fund in New Mexico as part of a public nuisance case that's just one of many suits the company faces related to alleged harms caused by its apps. The fund comes on top of the $375 million in civil penalties that Meta was forced to pay earlier this year when it was found to have violated New Mexico's unfair practices act. The second phase of the trial, which began in May, would establish if Meta's actions created a public nuisance, thus warranting potential product changes. "Although Meta is not alone in this regard, its social media platforms are a significant contributing factor to the current mental health crisis among New Mexico's youth established by the substantial evidence in this case," Judge Bryan Biedscheid wrote in the ruling on Thursday.Most of the money in the fund — $420 million — is dedicated to treatment for people harmed by the platform. The rest is for awareness and prevention, screening and assessment and referrals a...