A New Mexico state court jury has found Meta liable for nearly $400 million in civil damages after a trial in which the state attorney general accused the company of failing to protect children from predators.
The civil trial that started with opening statements in Santa Fe last month focused on claims that Meta broke state consumer protection laws and misled residents about the safety of apps like Facebook and Instagram.
Deliberations began Monday, and jurors were tasked with ruling in favor or against the defendant Meta. Jury members found that Meta willfully violated the state’s unfair practices act, and decided the company should pay $375 million in damages based on the number of violations.
New Mexico attorney general Raúl Torrez said, “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.”
“Meta executives knew their products harmed children, disregarded warnings from their own employees, and lied to the public about what they knew. Today the jury joined families, educators, and child safety experts in saying enough is enough.”
Following the trial, a Meta spokesperson stated, “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.”
A different but similar federal trial in the Northern District of California will begin later this year involving Meta, YouTube, TikTok, and Snap.
By CEO NA Editorial Staff
