SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) : A New Mexico judge on Thursday ordered Meta to pay more than half a billion dollars over the state’s claims that the social media giant created a “public nuisance” and harmed children. “Today’s decision is a victory for every parent who has worried about what social media is doing to their child and every child who deserves to grow up safer online.” Following the ruling, Meta said the company remains “confident in our record of protecting teens online and will continue to defend ourselves against claims that misrepresent the facts.” Age verification for social media users is becoming increasingly popular by regulators around the world, though implementing such policies has proven complex and difficult. The first bellwether trial for social media harms on mental health concluded in March, when a Los Angeles jury ordered Meta and Google to pay a 20-year-old woman $6 million.