New Mexico: A court in New Mexico has ordered Meta Platforms to pay $375 million (£279 million) after a jury found the company misled users about the safety of its platforms for children.
The verdict follows a seven-week trial in which jurors concluded that platforms owned by Meta, including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp exposed young users to sexually explicit content and contact with predators.
New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez described the ruling as historic, marking the first successful state lawsuit against Meta over child safety concerns.
Jury findings and allegations
The jury found that Meta violated the state’s Unfair Practices Act by misleading the public about protections in place for minors. Prosecutors argued that the company was aware of risks but failed to take sufficient action.
During the trial, former Meta engineering leader Arturo Béjar testified that internal experiments showed underage users were frequently exposed to sexualised content on Instagram. Arturo Béjar also recounted that his own daughter had been approached by a stranger online.
Internal research presented in court revealed that at one point, 16 percent of Instagram users reported seeing unwanted nudity or sexual activity within a single week.
Meta to appeal ruling
Meta, led by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, said it disagrees with the verdict and plans to appeal. A company spokesperson stated that Meta continues to invest in safety tools and highlighted recent features such as ‘Teen Accounts’ on Instagram and parental alerts for harmful content searches.
Broader legal challenges
The penalty amount reflects thousands of violations, each carrying a maximum fine of $5,000. The case is one of many facing Meta and other tech firms across the United States. A separate trial in Los Angeles involves claims that social media platforms are intentionally designed to be addictive for young users.
New Mexico originally filed the lawsuit in 2023, accusing Meta of steering minors toward harmful content through its recommendation algorithms.
Growing scrutiny on tech platforms
The ruling adds to increasing legal and regulatory pressure on major social media companies over user safety, particularly for minors. With thousands of similar lawsuits underway, the outcome could have wider implications for how platforms design algorithms and enforce content moderation policies.
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