Meta must pay $375 million for violating New Mexico law in child exploitation case, jury rules

A New Mexico state court jury on Tuesday held Meta liable for nearly $400 million in civil damages after a trial where the state attorney general accused the Facebook and Instagram operator of failing to safeguard kids who use its apps from child predators.

The civil trial, which began with opening arguments in Santa Fe last month, centered on allegations that Meta violated state consumer protections laws and misled residents about the safety of apps like Facebook and Instagram. New Mexico attorney general Raúl Torrez sued Meta in 2023 following an undercover operation involving the creation of a fake social media profile of a 13-year-old girl that he previously told CNBC “was simply inundated with images and targeted solicitations” from child abusers.

Deliberations began Monday, and jurors were tasked with ruling in favor or against the defendant Meta. Jury members found that Meta willfully violated the state’s unfair practices act, and decided the company should pay $375 million in damages based on the number of violations.

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