Meta must pay $375 million for violating New Mexico law in child exploitation case, jury rules

In a major case in New Mexico, a jury ruled against Meta, in which the state attorney general alleged that: Meta The app failed to protect her family from child predators.

The civil case, whose opening arguments began Feb. 9 at the Santa Fe courthouse, focuses on allegations that Meta violated state consumer protection laws and misled residents about the security of apps like Facebook and Instagram. New Mexico attorney general Raúl Torrez filed the lawsuit against Meta in 2023 following an undercover sting operation that involved the creation of a fake social media profile belonging to a 13-year-old girl that child molesters previously told CNBC was “just full of images and targeted demands.”

Deliberations began Monday, and jurors were tasked with deciding for or against defendant Meta. Jurors found Meta knowingly violated the state’s unfair practices law. The jury found that Meta did this by deliberately engaging in an unconscionable business practice.

The jury ultimately awarded Meta $375 million in damages based on the number of violations.

Linda Singer, an attorney representing New Mexico, appealed to jurors. closing statements On Monday, it was decided to impose a fine on Meta that could exceed $2 billion.

A Meta spokesman said: “We respectfully disagree with the decision 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. We will continue to defend ourselves vigorously and remain confident in our record of protecting young people online.”

Meta denied New Mexico’s allegations and previously said he was “focused on demonstrating our long-standing commitment to supporting young people.”

“The jury’s verdict is a historic victory for every child and family who paid the price for Meta’s choice to put profit ahead of the children’s safety,” Torrez said in a statement. he said. “Meta executives knew their products were harming children, ignored their own employees’ warnings, and lied to the public about what they knew. Today, the jury gathered with families, educators, and child safety experts to say enough is enough.”

When the second phase of the New Mexico trial, conducted without a jury, begins May 4, the judge will decide whether Meta has caused a public nuisance and whether he must fund public programs to address the alleged harms.

The New Mexico case is one of several social media-related trials this year that experts have compared to Big Tobacco cases from the 1990s, in part because of allegations that the companies misled the public about the safety and potential harms of their products.

Jurors in a separate personal injury case involving Meta and Google’s YouTube have been deliberating in Los Angeles Superior Court since last Friday as part of a massive lawsuit alleging the companies misled the public about the security and design of their respective apps. An LA jury must determine whether one or both of the companies implemented certain design features that contributed to the mental distress of the plaintiff, known as KGM, who claims he became addicted to social media apps when he was a minor.

This Los Angeles case is known as a pioneer in that its outcome helped determine decisions in similar and related cases in California, called Judicial Council Coordination Cases.

In a separate federal lawsuit set to begin later this year in the Northern District of California, several school districts and parents across the country allege that the actions and practices of Meta, YouTube, TikTok and Snap are causing negative mental health harm in teens and children.

This is breaking news. Please check back for updates.

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