A New Mexico jury has found Meta Platforms guilty of violating state consumer protection laws in a lawsuit accusing the company of misleading users about the safety of its platforms—Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp—and enabling child sexual exploitation. The jury, after less than a day of deliberation, ordered Meta to pay $375 million in civil penalties, marking the first jury verdict of its kind against the tech giant. The case was brought by State Attorney General Raúl Torrez, who described the ruling as a “historic victory” for children and families.
The six-week trial in Santa Fe highlighted allegations that Meta failed to adequately protect minors, allowing predators to access and exploit underage users. State attorneys argued that the company knowingly misrepresented the safety of its platforms while internal documents acknowledged risks related to sexual exploitation and mental health harm. An undercover investigation conducted in 2023 reportedly found that fake accounts posing as users under 14 were exposed to explicit content and contacted by adults, leading to criminal charges in multiple cases. Meta, however, denied the allegations, stating it has strong safeguards and transparency measures in place.
The verdict comes amid growing scrutiny of Meta’s impact on youth mental health and a wave of lawsuits accusing social media companies of designing addictive platforms. While Meta plans to appeal the decision, the case will proceed to a second phase in May, where the court may impose additional penalties and mandate safety reforms such as age verification. The ruling adds pressure on the company as it faces broader legal challenges across the United States related to user safety and platform accountability.
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