Jury finds Meta liable in case over child sexual exploitation on its platforms

A jury on Tuesday found Meta violated New Mexico law in a case accusing it of failing to warn users about the dangers of its platforms and protect children from sexual predators.

The jury found Meta liable on all counts, including for willfully engaging in “unfair and deceptive” and “unconscionable” trade practices, and ordered the company to pay $375 million in damages.

Meta for years has faced concerns about risks to kids and teens on its platforms from parents, whistleblowers, advocates and lawmakers. Tuesday’s decision marks the first time the company has been held accountable in a jury trial for those issues.

A Meta spokesperson said the company “respectfully” disagrees and plans to appeal the decision.

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez sued Meta in 2023 for allegedly creating a “breeding ground” for child predators on Facebook and Instagram, claims that the company denies. The jury’s award was smaller than the billions in damages New Mexico had sought, but a later portion of the case to be presented directly to the judge could also force Meta to make changes to its platforms and pay additional penalties.

The case is part of a wave of legal pressure Meta and other social media platforms are facing over the safety of young users. As jurors in New Mexico state court delivered a verdict, jurors in Los Angeles are considering a separate case against Meta and YouTube accusing them of intentionally creating addictive features that harmed a young woman’s mental health. Social media giants are also facing hundreds of other cases from individuals, school districts and state attorneys general — some of which are set to go to trial later this year.

Closing arguments on Monday followed a six-week trial that included testimony from Meta executives and former employees-turned-whistleblowers. Details from the attorney general’s undercover investigation into child sexual exploitation on Meta’s platforms, which led to three arrests, were also discussed in the courtroom.

The New Mexico jury was tasked with deciding whether Meta willfully made false and misleading statements about the safety of its platforms or engaged in “unconscionable” practices by knowingly designing its platforms to harm young people.

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

Torrez called the decision “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,” Torrez said in a statement Tuesday.

Ahead of the decision, a Meta spokesperson on Monday pointed to an earlier statement saying that the New Mexico lawsuit “makes sensationalist, irrelevant and distracting arguments by cherry picking select documents” and disregarding the company’s “longstanding commitment to supporting young people.”

Meta attorney Kevin Huff argued in court that the company has been honest with users that some bad actors and inappropriate content can slip through its safety filters. But he said 40,000 people at Meta are responsible for making Facebook and Instagram safe, and that the company invests heavily in measures to protect young users.