A court in New Mexico has ordered Meta to pay $375 million (£279 million) for misleading users over the safety of its platforms for children. A jury found that Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, was liable for the way its platforms endangered children and exposed them to sexually explicit material and contact with sexual predators. New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez stated that the verdict is historic and marks the first time that a state has successfully sued Meta over child safety issues.
A spokeswoman for Meta, led by chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, expressed disagreement with the verdict and indicated the company intends to appeal. She emphasized, We work hard to keep people safe on our platforms and are clear about the challenges of identifying and removing bad actors and harmful content. We remain confident in our record of protecting teens online.
The jury found that Meta was responsible for violating New Mexico's Unfair Practices Act by misleading the public about the safety of its platforms for young users. During a seven-week trial, jurors were presented with internal documents and testimonies revealing that the company had been aware of child predators using its platforms. Arturo Béjar, a former engineering leader at Meta who became a whistleblower, testified that his own young daughter was propositioned for sex on Instagram, which was part of the evidence demonstrating the severity of the issue. State prosecutors showcased findings from Meta's own internal research, revealing that a significant percentage of Instagram users had reported being subjected to unwanted nudity and sexual content.
Meta's defense argued that it had made significant strides in combating problematic users and providing safe experiences for minors. In recent years, the platform introduced new features aimed at enhancing safety for young users, such as Teen Accounts and alerts for parents about self-harm content.
The total civil penalty of $375 million was established after the jury identified multiple violations of the Unfair Practices Act, each subject to a maximum fine.
In addition to this case, Meta faces a separate trial in Los Angeles concerning a young woman's claim that she became addicted to its platforms due to their design. Similar lawsuits against Meta are currently underway across the United States. New Mexico had filed its case in 2023, alleging that the company had guided young users toward explicit content via its recommendation algorithms. Attorney General Torrez criticized Meta executives, stating they had ignored internal warnings and deceived the public regarding the potential harm their products pose to children, articulating, Today the jury joined families, educators, and child safety experts in saying enough is enough.\
A spokeswoman for Meta, led by chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, expressed disagreement with the verdict and indicated the company intends to appeal. She emphasized, We work hard to keep people safe on our platforms and are clear about the challenges of identifying and removing bad actors and harmful content. We remain confident in our record of protecting teens online.
The jury found that Meta was responsible for violating New Mexico's Unfair Practices Act by misleading the public about the safety of its platforms for young users. During a seven-week trial, jurors were presented with internal documents and testimonies revealing that the company had been aware of child predators using its platforms. Arturo Béjar, a former engineering leader at Meta who became a whistleblower, testified that his own young daughter was propositioned for sex on Instagram, which was part of the evidence demonstrating the severity of the issue. State prosecutors showcased findings from Meta's own internal research, revealing that a significant percentage of Instagram users had reported being subjected to unwanted nudity and sexual content.
Meta's defense argued that it had made significant strides in combating problematic users and providing safe experiences for minors. In recent years, the platform introduced new features aimed at enhancing safety for young users, such as Teen Accounts and alerts for parents about self-harm content.
The total civil penalty of $375 million was established after the jury identified multiple violations of the Unfair Practices Act, each subject to a maximum fine.
In addition to this case, Meta faces a separate trial in Los Angeles concerning a young woman's claim that she became addicted to its platforms due to their design. Similar lawsuits against Meta are currently underway across the United States. New Mexico had filed its case in 2023, alleging that the company had guided young users toward explicit content via its recommendation algorithms. Attorney General Torrez criticized Meta executives, stating they had ignored internal warnings and deceived the public regarding the potential harm their products pose to children, articulating, Today the jury joined families, educators, and child safety experts in saying enough is enough.\
