A New Mexico jury has found Meta Platforms liable for violating state consumer protection laws, ordering the tech giant to pay US$375 million (RM1.48 billion) in civil penalties. The verdict follows an intense legal battle led by the state’s attorney general, who accused the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp of misleading the public regarding the safety of its platforms. This landmark decision marks the first time a jury has ruled against Meta in a case specifically involving claims of child sexual exploitation and the deliberate enabling of predators.
The trial, which lasted six weeks in Santa Fe, centred on allegations that Meta’s platforms provided unfettered access for predators to connect with underage users, often leading to real-world abuse and human trafficking. Investigators from the New Mexico Attorney General’s office conducted an undercover operation in 2023, creating accounts posing as children under the age of 14. These accounts reportedly received sexually explicit material and were contacted by adults seeking illicit content, leading to several criminal charges and providing the foundation for the civil lawsuit.
During the proceedings, attorneys for the state argued that Meta prioritised engagement and profits over the well-being of young users for over a decade. The prosecution claimed that features such as infinite scrolling and auto-play videos were designed to foster addictive behaviour, contributing to a mental health crisis among teenagers. Despite internal documents allegedly acknowledging these risks, the state contended that Meta failed to implement basic safety measures like effective age verification, instead maintaining a public narrative that its services were safe for families.
In response to the verdict, a Meta spokesperson expressed respectful disagreement and confirmed the company’s intention to appeal. The defence maintained that Meta has robust safeguards and tireless dedicated teams working to identify and remove harmful content. Meta’s legal team argued that the company did not intentionally deceive the public and suggested that many of the harms cited are tied to user-generated content, for which the company believes it should be shielded from liability under existing speech and communication laws.
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez described the verdict as a historic victory for children and families, suggesting it sends a clear message to the technology industry that no corporation is above the law. A second phase of the trial is scheduled for May, during which the court will consider a “public nuisance” claim. In this upcoming stage, the state intends to seek further financial penalties and a court order requiring Meta to implement significant structural changes to its platforms to better protect minors from exploitation.
