A New Mexico court has ordered Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, to delete accounts belonging to users under the age of 13 and implement strict usage limits for teenage users. The ruling, issued on Friday, represents a significant victory for those concerned about social media’s impact on young people’s mental health and wellbeing.Under the court’s decision, Meta must cap monthly usage on Facebook and Instagram to just 90 hours for users under 18 years old. This equates to roughly three hours per day, a substantial reduction from typical teen social media consumption patterns. The restrictions are designed to limit potential harms associated with excessive screen time, including sleep disruption, anxiety, and depression.In addition to the operational changes, Meta has been ordered to pay $567 million towards a fund dedicated to addressing mental health issues among teenagers who use the company’s social media platforms. This financial penalty underscores growing judicial concern about the psychological toll of social media on young users.The ruling comes amid mounting pressure on tech companies globally to implement stronger safeguards for minors online. It reflects broader regulatory efforts to protect children from both addictive platform design and exposure to harmful content, with courts and lawmakers increasingly holding social media companies accountable for their impact on youth mental health.

Source: Walla News — Original article in Hebrew.