Jury rules against Meta, orders $375 million fine in major child safety trial

A jury in New Mexico has found Meta liable for violating the state's consumer protection laws in a high-profile civil trial over child exploitation and other safety issues. One day after closing arguments in the weeks-long trial concluded, the jury ruled against Meta on every count and ordered the company to pay $375 million. 

The case was brought by New Mexico's attorney general in 2023 and centered around allegations that Meta knew its platform put children at risk of exploitation and mental health harms and failed to put safety measures in place. In the end, the jury ruled that Meta was liable for 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 penalty of $375 million, the maximum amount under the law based on the number of violations. 

During the trial, jurors were shown numerous internal documents throughout Meta's history. These included the results of research into mental health issues facing teens, and email exchanges in which Meta executives discussed safety problems like sextortion, self harm content and grooming. Prosecutors argued that these documents showed Meta knew children were experiencing harms on its apps, despite public statements that it prioritized safety. 

In a statement, Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said the company would appeal the verdict. "We respectfully disagree with the verdict and will appeal. 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," he said. "We will continue to defend ourselves vigorously, and we remain confident in our record of protecting teens online.”

The verdict isn't the end of New Mexico's case against Meta. The state will argue that Meta is a "public nuisance" at a bench trial (a trial with a judge and no jury) that's expected to begin in May. In a statement, Attorney General Raul Torrez called the verdict a "historic victory" for families affected by Meta's safety lapses.“Meta executives knew their products harmed children, disregarded warnings from their own employees, and lied to the public about what they knew. Today the jury joined families, educators, and child safety experts in saying enough is enough."

The New Mexico trial has been closely watched as it's among the first of many cases against Meta 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 have also brought a lawsuit against the company for harming teens.