KUALA LUMPUR – A US jury in New Mexico has ruled that Meta Platforms violated state law, ordering the company to pay $375 million in civil penalties after finding it misled users about the safety of its platforms and failed to adequately protect children.
The verdict, delivered after less than a day of deliberations following a six-week trial in Santa Fe, found that Meta breached New Mexico’s consumer protection law by allegedly enabling child sexual exploitation across its platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, Reuters reported.
It marks the first time a jury has ruled against Meta on such claims, as the company faces growing legal challenges over the impact of its platforms on young users’ mental health and safety.
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez described the ruling as “a historic victory for every child and family who has paid the price for Meta’s choice to put profits over kids’ safety.”
“The substantial damages the jury ordered Meta to pay should send a clear message to big tech executives that no company is beyond the reach of the law,” he was quoted as saying.
Meta, which is led by chief executive Mark Zuckerberg, rejected the verdict and confirmed it would appeal.
A company spokesperson said: “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.”
The company added: “We remain confident in our record of protecting teens online.”
The jury found that Meta violated New Mexico’s Unfair Practices Act by misleading the public about the safety of its platforms for younger users. Jurors were also presented with internal documents and testimony suggesting the company was aware of child predators operating on its services.
According to evidence presented, former Meta engineering leader Arturo Béjar testified that experiments he conducted on Instagram showed underage users being exposed to sexualised content. He also claimed his own young daughter was approached by a stranger on the platform.
State prosecutors further cited internal research indicating that, at one point, 16 per cent of Instagram users reported being exposed to unwanted nudity or sexual activity within a single week.
Linda Singer, an attorney for the state, told the jury: “Over the course of a decade, Meta has failed over and over again to act honestly and transparently. It’s failed to act to protect young people in this state.”
The jury’s decision follows wider concerns and multiple lawsuits in the United States over how social media platforms affect young users, with Meta facing further legal challenges in other states. In a separate case, the state had sought more than $2 billion in damages.
The civil penalty of $375 million was calculated based on thousands of violations of the state’s law, each carrying a maximum penalty of $5,000.
Meta, however, pointed to its ongoing efforts to improve safety features for younger users, including the introduction of Teen Accounts in 2024 and recent updates aimed at alerting parents to potential risks, such as self-harm-related content. - March 25, 2026
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