A New Mexico jury dealt Meta a significant legal blow on Tuesday in its verdict affirming that the company misled users about safety measures on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp and endangered children who fell victim to predators.
The Associated Press reported that jurors ordered Meta to pay $375 million in civil penalties after a seven-week trial that ensued after the state of New Mexico sued the company.
New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez praised the verdict, calling it “a historic victory for every child and family who has paid the price for Meta’s choice to put profits over kids’ safety.”
From Fox Business:
The verdict marks a major legal win for the state and is believed to be the first time a state has prevailed at trial against a major tech company over claims it harmed children through its platforms, according to the New Mexico State Justice Department.
The $375 million penalty is significantly lower than the roughly $2.1 billion New Mexico officials had sought, though the jury awarded the maximum allowed under state law of $5,000 per violation.
Meta said it disagrees with the verdict and plans to appeal.
"We respectfully disagree with the verdict and will appeal," a Meta spokesperson told FOX Business in a statement. "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. We will continue to defend ourselves vigorously, and we remain confident in our record of protecting teens online."
CNN: A jury in New Mexico has just found that Meta violated the law in failing to warn users about dangers on its platforms and failing to protect children from sexual predators. They were ordered to pay $375 million. pic.twitter.com/qT2uf6nfdv
— Blue Georgia (@BlueATLGeorgia) March 24, 2026
Meta failed to verify users’ ages, allowed adults to contact minors too easily, and employed design features that exposed minors to sexual exploitation, according to the lawsuit. The state argued that Meta promoted illegal content, giving predators broad access to children on its platforms.
The state said the company’s recommendation systems, infinite scroll feature, autoplay and other engagement tools got kids addicted to the platforms while steering minors to inappropriate material.
“Our investigation into Meta’s social media platforms demonstrates that they are not safe spaces for children but rather prime locations for predators to trade child pornography and solicit minors for sex,” Torrez said in a statement quoted by Reuters.
The lawsuit came after New Mexico authorities conducted an undercover operation in which investigators created fake Facebook and Instagram accounts posing as children younger than 14. The accounts received sexually explicit material and sexual messages from adults. The probe led to criminal charges against three suspects.
The lawsuit said the decoy profiles were quickly flooded with sexual solicitations, showing how easy it is for predators to use the platform to find victims.
This case has become part of a broader backlash against Meta and other social media companies. Critics accuse Meta of putting profit before child safety. Over 40 state attorneys general have sued the company over these allegations — as well as concerns about the addictive design and threats to children’s mental health.
“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,” a Meta spokesperson told The Associated Press. “We will continue to defend ourselves vigorously, and we remain confident in our record of protecting teens online.”
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