By Mike Swift and Xu Yuan ( August 7, 2026, 01:38 GMT | Insight) -- Meta Platforms must pay $567 million to remedy a mental health crisis among New Mexico teens caused by the design of Instagram and Facebook, a state court judge said in an order that he said "seeks to address existing harms created by Meta’s platforms and to prevent future harm to children and future burdens on New Mexico, in general, that would otherwise be caused by Meta’s platforms." The decision, which Meta vowed to appeal, underscores the high stakes for Meta and other social media companies as state attorneys general, school systems and individual plaintiffs challenge the legality of a business model designed to maximize the attention of minors and other users.Meta Platforms was hit by a $567 million order from a New Mexico judge Thursday to remedy a litany of mental health harms caused by the addictive qualities of Instagram and Facebook, bringing its total financial penalty in the small southwestern state to nearly $950 million....
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