Meta Found Liable in New Mexico Social Media Protections Case, Ordered to Pay Up to $375 Million

A New Mexico jury found tech giant Meta liable Tuesday for misleading consumers about the safety risks its platforms pose to children, a landmark verdict that could have ramifications for the tech industry as numerous cases related to social media harm wind through the courts. The jury ordered Meta to pay $375 million in damages.

Reached after a single day of deliberations, the decision marks a significant legal setback for the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. Jurors concluded Tuesday that the Mark Zuckerberg-founded tech giant engaged in conduct that endangered young users, in violation of the state’s Unfair Practices Act. The penalty figure reflects the state’s maximum fine of $5,000 per violation.

Meta responded Tuesday with a statement: “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. We will continue to defend ourselves vigorously, and we remain confident in our record of protecting teens online.”

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez filed suit against Meta, alleging the platforms created a “breeding ground” for predators targeting children and failed to protect consumers by not disclosing what the company knew about social media addiction and potential harms, according to the Associated Press.

Torrez called the verdict a “historic victory,” accusing the company of prioritizing profits over child safety and misleading the public about known risks to minors. He said the state will pursue additional penalties and seek court-ordered changes to strengthen protections for children.

The New Mexico jury decision comes as a jury in Los Angeles has been deliberating for more than a week in another closely watched case. A 20-year-old California woman, identified as Kaley G.M., has accused Meta and YouTube of deliberately hooking her on their platforms as a child with knowledge of the potential harms to mental health. She also sued TikTok and Snap, which settled prior to the start of the trial.

Attorneys representing Kaley are taking a page from the Big Tobacco playbook in this bellwether case against Big Tech, one of more than 1,600 suits making similar claims. Mark Lanier, who represents Kaley, described YouTube and Instagram as “digital casinos” targeting children. “They didn’t just build apps, they built traps,” Lanier said. “They didn’t want users, they wanted addicts.”

Meta and YouTube have challenged claims that Kaley’s mental health issues resulted from their apps, citing her difficult upbringing, and rejected the notion of social media being clinically addictive.

In New Mexico, state attorney Donald Migliori told jurors that “the theme throughout this trial is going to be that Meta puts profits over safety.” 

During the trial, Meta attorneys disputed the state’s claims, arguing that “the company continuously improves safety and addresses compulsive social media use without infringing on free speech or censoring users,” according to the AP.

While Zuckerberg, the Meta CEO, appeared in court in Los Angeles, he participated in a video deposition for the New Mexico trial.

In the video, Zuckerberg disputed a characterization of his company’s products as “addictive,” saying, “I think people sometimes use that word colloquially. That’s not what we’re trying to do with the products, and it’s not how I think they work.”

Still, Zuckerberg said he wants to “make sure that we can understand so we can improve the products and make them better for people in ways that they want.”

Tech companies have long been shielded under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and not liable for user-generated content on their platforms. Prosecutors in this case – and the other playing out in Los Angeles —have argued that Meta is liable for its design choices and platform processes. 

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