Jakarta, ThedailyID — Meta has been ordered to pay an additional US$567 million (Rp10.12 trillion) after a court in New Mexico ruled that Facebook and Instagram harmed children’s mental health and well-being. The latest decision brings the company’s total penalties in the case to US$942 million (Rp16.8 trillion).
Judge Bryan Biedscheid directed US$420 million from the latest penalty toward youth mental health treatment. Authorities will use the remaining funds to support awareness campaigns, prevention programs, screenings, and related initiatives over the next five years.
The ruling follows a US$375 million civil penalty that a jury imposed on Meta in March 2026. Jurors concluded that the company knowingly harmed children’s mental health and concealed information about child sexual exploitation on its platforms.
Prosecutors also urged the court to require broader changes across Meta’s services. They proposed limits on addictive product features, stronger age verification, stricter default privacy settings, and tighter safeguards against child exploitation.
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez said the decision sends a clear message that companies must take responsibility when their products place children at risk.
“Today’s decision is a victory for every parent concerned about what social media is doing to their children and every child who deserves to grow up safer online,” Torrez said.
Meta said it will appeal the ruling.
“We work hard to keep people safe on our platforms and have been transparent about the challenges of identifying and removing bad actors and harmful content,” the company said.
The court also ordered Facebook and Instagram to display regular notices explaining safety features, privacy tools, and ways to handle inappropriate comments. New Mexico officials will monitor those measures alongside public education campaigns.
However, the court ruled that the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) prevents it from forcing Meta to introduce certain age-verification methods for children under 13.
Instead, the court instructed Meta to strengthen its AI-powered age estimation system in New Mexico. The company must also develop a dedicated model to identify users under 13 within the next two years.
Meta must request proof of age from users its systems identify as potentially under 13. If it cannot verify a user’s exact age, the company must treat that account as belonging to a minor until verification is complete.
In addition, Meta must work with schools and child safety organizations to create a reporting portal for suspected underage accounts. The company must also delete personal data collected from users under 13 and submit progress reports to the court twice each year.
