A jury in New Mexico has found Meta liable for violating state consumer protection laws in a high-profile civil lawsuit over child abuse and other safety issues. A day after closing arguments in the weeks-long trial ended, the jury ruled against Meta on every count and ordered the company to pay $375 million.
The case was brought by the Attorney General of New Mexico in 2023 and focused on allegations that Meta knew that its platform put children at risk of exploitation and mental health harm and failed to take safeguards. Ultimately, the jury ruled that Meta was liable on both counts of violating New Mexico’s consumer protection laws for misleading people in the state about the safety of its services. It imposed a fine of $375 million, the maximum amount under the law depending on the number of violations.
During the trial, jurors were shown several internal documents throughout Meta’s history. These included the results of research on mental health issues facing teens and email exchanges in which META officials discussed safety issues such as sextortion, self-harm content, and grooming. Prosecutors argued that these documents show that Meta knew that children were being harmed on its apps, despite public statements that it prioritized safety.
Meta spokesman Andy Stone said in a statement that the company will appeal the decision. They said, “We respectfully disagree with the decision and will appeal. We work hard to keep people safe on our platform and have been clear about the challenges of identifying and removing bad actors or harmful content.” “We will continue to defend ourselves vigorously, and we are confident in our record of protecting teens online.”
This decision is not the end of New Mexico’s case against Meta. The state will argue that Meta is a “public nuisance” in a bench trial (a trial without a judge and no jury), which is expected to begin in May. In a statement, Attorney General Raul Torrez called the verdict a “historic victory” for families affected by Metra’s security flaws. “Meta executives knew their products harmed children, ignored their employees’ warnings, and lied to the public about what they knew. Today the jury joins families, teachers and child safety experts in saying enough is enough.”
The New Mexico trial has been closely watched because it is the first of several cases against Metra over child safety issues. A jury is currently deliberating in a separate trial in Los Angeles over social media addiction. A coalition of dozens of other states has also filed suit against the company for harming teenagers.
<a href