A New Mexico jury has ordered Meta, owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, to pay $375 million in civil penalties. The verdict found the company liable for misleading consumers about the safety of its platforms and enabling harm to users.
The state attorney general brought the lawsuit, alleging Meta failed to disclose risks to children and that its platforms facilitated child sexual exploitation. Jurors agreed Meta engaged in “unconscionable” trade practices, unfairly exploiting the vulnerabilities of young and inexperienced users.
Thousands of violations were cited, leading to the substantial penalty. The court determined Meta knowingly harmed children’s mental health and concealed information regarding exploitation occurring on its social media platforms.
This ruling marks a significant loss for Meta, holding the company responsible for content on its platforms and representing the first bench trial to find it liable for acts committed there.