A court in New Mexico has ordered Meta to pay $375 million (£279 million) for misleading users over the safety of its platforms for children.
A jury found that Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, was liable for the way in which its platforms endangered children and exposed them to sexually explicit material and contact with sexual predators.
New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez described the verdict as historic, indicating it is the first time a state has successfully sued Meta over child safety issues.
Meta, led by chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, expressed disagreement with the verdict and stated it intends to appeal.
The jury concluded that Meta violated New Mexico's Unfair Practices Act by misleading the public about the safety of its platforms for young users.
Throughout the seven-week trial, jurors were presented with internal Meta documents and testimonies from former employees that highlighted the company's awareness of child predators using its platforms.
Arturo Béjar, a former engineering leader at Meta and whistleblower, testified about experiments he conducted on Instagram that revealed underage users were served sexualized content. He also shared a personal account of his daughter being propositioned for sex by a stranger on Instagram.
Prosecutors displayed internal Meta research indicating that at one point, 16% of Instagram users reported encounters with unwanted nudity or sexual activity within a week.
Meta defended its efforts to create a safe environment for users, citing the introduction of features designed to enhance safety for minors, including recent updates aimed at protecting teenagers online.
The jury’s decision was influenced by findings that multiple infractions occurred, leading to the imposed civil penalty of $375 million, reflecting numerous violations of state laws.
Meta is also entangled in a separate trial in Los Angeles, where a young woman is suing the company over alleged childhood addiction to social media platforms due to their design. Furthermore, many similar lawsuits are progressing in courts across the United States.
New Mexico's lawsuit accused Meta of intentionally directing young users to explicit and harmful content through its recommendation algorithms, with the Attorney General asserting that company executives ignored warnings of potential harm.
Torrez emphasized the significance of the verdict, stating, Today the jury joined families, educators, and child safety experts in saying enough is enough.
