A New Mexico jury has imposed a massive $375 million penalty on Meta after finding the company deceived users about protecting children on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
The landmark ruling holds Meta responsible for endangering minors through exposure to explicit sexual content and predatory interactions, marking the first time a U.S. state has triumphed in such a child safety lawsuit, as Reuters noted on 24 March 2026.
Attorney General Raul Torrez described the verdict as “historic.”
“Meta executives knew their products harmed children, disregarded warnings from their own employees, and lied to the public about what they knew,” he said. “Today the jury joined families, educators, and child safety experts in saying enough is enough.”
A Meta spokesperson dismissed the decision and pledged an appeal, stating, “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.”
During the seven-week trial, jurors reviewed internal documents and heard from whistleblower Arturo Béjar, a former engineering lead who quit in 2021. He detailed Instagram tests that served sexualised material to under-18s and revealed his own daughter was sexually solicited by a stranger on the app.
Prosecutors also presented Meta research showing 16% of users encountered unwanted nudity or sexual content in one week alone, leading to thousands of Unfair Practices Act violations fined at up to $5,000 each.
New Mexico sued in 2023, alleging Meta’s algorithms directed children towards abuse imagery, grooming, and trafficking risks. While Meta highlighted measures like 2024’s Teen Accounts and recent self-harm parental alerts, critics cite a 2024 U.S. Senate report on ignored teen harm studies.
The pressure mounts amid over 500 similar U.S. lawsuits and global probes, including Australia’s encryption case and EU scrutiny. Child abuse reports on platforms have soared 360% since 2019, per the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.