Meta pay $375 million for violating New Mexico law in child exploitation case

Key Points:

• A New Mexico jury found Meta liable for nearly $400 million in civil damages, ruling that the company willfully violated state consumer protection laws by failing to protect children from predators on Facebook and Instagram.
• The lawsuit, filed by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez, was based on evidence including an undercover operation and internal Meta documents showing awareness of harms to children and challenges posed by end-to-end encryption.
• Meta plans to appeal the verdict, denying the allegations and emphasizing its efforts to keep users safe, while the state seeks further remedies including app design changes and public program funding in a second trial phase starting May 4.
• The case is part of broader legal actions against social media companies, with comparisons drawn to Big Tobacco lawsuits, as prosecutors challenge Section 230 protections by focusing on app design and company knowledge of harms.
• Additional trials involving Meta, Google, TikTok, and Snap are underway or forthcoming, addressing alleged mental health harms to minors linked to social media use, reflecting growing scrutiny of tech companies' responsibilities.