A court in New Mexico has ordered tech giant Meta to pay $375 million in civil penalties after a jury found the company misled the public about the safety of its social media platforms for children.
The ruling marks the first time a U.S. state has successfully sued Meta over child safety concerns related to its platforms, which include Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
The case was brought by New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez, who argued that the company’s platforms exposed young users to sexually explicit material and potential contact with sexual predators.
A jury concluded that Meta violated the state’s Unfair Practices Act by misleading users and families about how safe its platforms were for children.
The total penalty of $375 million was calculated after jurors determined there had been thousands of violations of the law, each carrying a maximum penalty of $5,000.
Torrez described the ruling as a landmark moment in holding major technology companies accountable for the safety of young users.
“Meta executives knew their products harmed children, disregarded warnings from their own employees, and lied to the public about what they knew,” Torrez said.
“Today the jury joined families, educators and child safety experts in saying enough is enough.”
The lawsuit, filed in 2022, accused Meta of using its recommendation algorithms to steer young users toward harmful content. These algorithms automatically curate posts, videos and accounts that appear in users’ feeds.
According to the state, the system exposed minors to sexually explicit material, content involving child sexual abuse and even potential solicitation related to sex trafficking.
Meta has rejected the allegations and said it will challenge the verdict.
A spokesperson for the company said it strongly disagrees with the ruling and plans to appeal.
“We work hard to keep people safe on our platforms and are clear about the challenges of identifying and removing bad actors and harmful content,” the spokesperson said.
“We remain confident in our record of protecting teens online.”
The case is one of many legal battles facing major technology companies over the impact of social media on children and teenagers.
Meta is also currently involved in a separate trial in Los Angeles in which a young woman claims she became addicted to platforms such as Instagram and YouTube during her childhood due to design features intended to keep users engaged.
Thousands of similar lawsuits have been filed across the United States, with families, states and advocacy groups accusing social media companies of designing platforms that can harm young users.
The New Mexico verdict could set a significant precedent as courts increasingly scrutinize the role of technology companies in protecting children online.
