In yet another case, Meta has been embroiled in legal trouble as a New Mexico jury on Tuesday found the company violated state law. The lawsuit, filed by the state attorney general, accused Meta of misleading users about the safety of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, and of enabling child sexual exploitation. After less than a day of deliberations, the jury ruled that Meta breached New Mexico’s consumer protection law and ordered the company to pay $375 million in civil penalties.
“We respectfully disagree with the verdict and will appeal," a Meta spokesperson said. "We work hard to keep people safe on our platforms and are clear about the challenges of identifying and removing bad actors or harmful content." The verdict marks the first time a jury has ruled on such claims against Meta, as the company faces a wave of lawsuits over its platforms’ impact on youth mental health.
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez called the ruling "a historic victory for every child and family who has paid the price for Meta’s choice to put profits over kids’ safety," adding that "the substantial damages…should send a clear message to big tech executives that no company is beyond the reach of the law." Torrez said his office will seek further platform changes and penalties in a second phase of the trial in May.
The six-week trial in Santa Fe revealed allegations that Meta allowed predators access to underage users, leading to abuse and human trafficking. Meta denied wrongdoing, highlighting its safeguards and disclosures to prevent harmful content.
The case stems from a 2023 undercover operation, in which investigators created accounts for users under 14 and found adults soliciting sexually explicit material. The state accused Meta of misleading the public about platform safety, failing to implement basic protections, and designing features like infinite scroll to maximize engagement despite evidence of mental health harm.
On Tuesday, the jury found Meta violated New Mexico’s consumer protection law, deeming its actions unconscionable, with 75,000 violations fined at $5,000 each. In May, Judge Bryan Biedscheid will hold a trial on claims that Meta created a public nuisance, with the state seeking changes like effective age verification and predator removal.
