A court in New Mexico has ordered Meta to pay 567 million dollars, about 3.7 billion Danish kroner, into a state fund for youth mental health. Meta says it disagrees with the ruling and will appeal.
The order was issued Thursday by a court in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Avisen Danmark reports, based on coverage from Ritzau and Reuters. The money is to go to a state fund aimed at combating mental health problems among young users of Meta’s products, including Facebook and Instagram.
According to Reuters, the payment is to be spread over a 10 year period. The fund is called the New Mexico Youth Mental Health Fund. Reuters names the judge behind the order as Francis J. Mathew of New Mexico’s First Judicial District Court.
The 567 million dollars come on top of an earlier award in the same case. Meta was ordered to pay 375 million dollars, roughly 2.4 billion kroner, in compensatory damages. That verdict was reached in March 2026 after a trial in Santa Fe that lasted about six weeks.
What the company was found liable for
The jury found that Meta had misled consumers about safety on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. The company was also found to have failed to protect minors against sexual abuse and human trafficking. Meta has appealed that verdict as well.
The case was brought by the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office, per Reuters. The office accused Meta of designing and operating Facebook and Instagram in ways that harmed the mental health of young users. It also alleged that the platforms facilitated the sexual exploitation of children.
As reported by Reuters, the Attorney General’s Office says the fund will finance treatment, prevention and education programs. The programs are to address social media related mental health harms among children and teenagers in the state. Materials from the New Mexico Office of the Attorney General confirm that the state sought funding for youth mental health programs as part of its remedies.
Meta disagrees with the decision from the Santa Fe court and will appeal, the company has stated. According to Reuters, Meta argues that it has introduced tools and policies to protect teenagers. The company also points to features that give parents control over their children’s use of its platforms.
Why the order comes now
Reuters notes that the payment order follows the March 2026 jury verdict, with the judge now setting additional remedies beyond the original damages award. The timing is tied to post trial rulings in the same case.
Meta faces a broader wave of lawsuits in the United States over how its platforms affect young people’s mental health. According to Reuters, the litigation alleges that social media platforms contribute to rising rates of depression and anxiety among young users. The company behind Instagram has also drawn criticism in Denmark over its handling of advertising, including steroid ads on its platforms.
