Meta Fined $375M in Groundbreaking Child Safety Lawsuit
A New Mexico jury delivered a landmark verdict on Tuesday, ordering Meta Platforms to pay $375 million in damages for failing to protect children from exploitation on its Facebook and Instagram platforms. This case marks the first instance of a U.S. state successfully suing Meta over child safety issues.
Jurors concluded that Meta had willfully violated New Mexico’s Unfair Practices Act by misleading users about platform safety and enabling child sexual exploitation. The verdict was reached following a six-week trial that featured testimony from Meta executives and whistleblowers, as well as evidence from an undercover investigation led by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez.
“The jury’s verdict is a historic victory for every child and family who has paid the price for Meta’s choice to put profits over kids’ safety,” Torrez said in a statement.
The case centered on allegations that Meta prioritized growth while failing to adequately protect minors from online predators. Despite the verdict, Meta announced its intention to appeal the decision, stating it “respectfully disagrees with the verdict.”
The verdict was delivered just a day before another jury in Los Angeles found Meta and Google negligent in a separate social media addiction trial, ordering the companies to pay $6 million in damages. These cases are part of a broader wave of legal action against social media platforms, with over 2,000 similar lawsuits pending nationwide.
A second phase of the New Mexico trial is scheduled for May, where a judge will determine whether Meta must implement platform changes including age verification and enhanced predator removal systems.
Source: CNBC