A jury determined that “Meta willfully violated New Mexico law by misleading users about the safety of its products and engaging in an unconscionable trade practice,” according to The Verge.
On Tuesday, March 24, 2026, the company was given the maximum penalty of $5,000 per violation, 37,500 violations across two counts equals $375 million. This is less than a fifth of what prosecutors requested.
The jury determined that the owners of Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram prioritize profits over safety and violated parts of New Mexico’s Unfair Practices Act.
The landmark verdict was delivered one day after closing arguments.
Evidence
New Mexico set up decoy Facebook accounts to lure suspected predators to profiles that appeared to belong to minors. The state said they were flooded with messages and requests from adults.
Meta denied the allegations, saying the investigation was flawed and the company had been honest about the safety of its products.
Meta Awaiting Another Verdict
A jury in Los Angeles has been deliberating for more than a week in a case that also involves YouTube.
Several other cases are still awaiting trial. The win in New Mexico is historical with the unique legal strategy of Attorney General Raúl Torrez that focused on the design of the platform to overcome the defense that online content is protected.
Torrez states: “New Mexico is proud to be the first state to hold Meta accountable in court for misleading parents, enabling child exploitation, and harming kids. In the next phase of this legal proceeding, we will seek additional financial penalties and court-mandated changes to Meta’s platforms that offer stronger protections for children.”
The judge will determine if the social media platforms created a public nuisance and will be required to fund public programs to address the harm. The second phase of the trial begin in May.
Meta Response
Spokesperson Francis Brennan says: “We respectfully disagree with the verdict and will appeal. 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. We will continue to defend ourselves vigorously, and we remain confident in our record of protecting teens online.”
Sources:
NPR: New Mexico jury says Meta harms children’s mental health and safety, violating state law
Gizmodo: ‘Watershed Moment’: Meta Just Lost a Huge Court Case About Child Safety
The Verge: Meta misled users about its products’ safety, jury decides
Featured Image Courtesy of Christiaan Colen’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
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