Meta is ordered in the US to pay US$375 million for failures to protect children

Meta misled users about the security of its platforms and ended up allowing the sexual exploitation of young people, a jury in the state of New Mexico concluded this Tuesday (24). It is one of the social media giant’s first major defeats in a case involving child protection.

State Attorney General Raúl Torrez sued the company in 2023, accusing Meta of selling the idea that its apps were safe while failing to protect minors. According to the lawsuit, serious failures in security protocols created space for sexual predators to come into contact with teenagers.

The jury, in a district court in Santa Fe, ruled that Meta must pay $375 million in damages for violating state consumer protection laws.

“The verdict is a historic victory for every child and family who paid the price for Meta’s choice to prioritize profit over the safety of young people,” Torrez said in a statement. “Executives knew the products were harmful to children, ignored employee warnings, and lied to the public about what they knew.”

The company said it will appeal. “We will continue to defend ourselves strongly and remain confident in our record of protecting teens online,” said Andy Stone, a Meta spokesperson.

In recent years, thousands of lawsuits have been filed by families, school districts and attorneys general against Meta, Snap, TikTok and YouTube, alleging that these platforms harm young users.

The decision in New Mexico is the first defeat for Meta — owner of Facebook and Instagram — in a series of trials scheduled for this year. In Los Angeles, a jury has been deliberating for more than a week in a “pilot” case on social media addiction, in which Meta and YouTube are accused of harming a user’s mental health with design mechanisms considered addictive.

Parents, authorities and the technology sector itself followed the trial closely due to its potential to force changes in the design of Meta’s products.

Torrez said he will ask the judge, Bryan Biedscheid, for new financial penalties in a stage of the process that begins on May 4, as well as measures that force the company to change its apps to make them safer for young people.

“Between this case and the trial in Los Angeles, parents, survivors and state authorities are doing their part to put big tech against the wall,” said Josh Golin, executive director of Fairplay, an entity that works on behalf of children.

To build the case, state investigators posed as minors, attracted online predators and recorded grooming attempts. According to the lawsuit, Instagram is now a “fertile ground” for sexual exploitation.

The trial lasted six weeks and heard from teachers, investigators and whistleblowers who reported security problems on Meta’s platforms. The jury began deliberating on Monday.

“The consequences are coming,” said Matthew Bergman, an attorney with the Social Media Victims Law Center, which represents the plaintiff in a civil case against Meta in Los Angeles. “It’s the first step toward real accountability.”