A jury in the US state of New Mexico ruled on Tuesday that Meta Platforms violated state law in a lawsuit filed by the state attorney general, who accused the company of misleading users about the security of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp platforms, as well as enabling the sexual exploitation of children on these networks.
After less than a day of deliberations, the jury ruled that Meta violated New Mexico consumer protection law and ordered the company to pay $375 million in civil penalties.
This is the first time a jury has made such a decision against Meta, as the company faces a wave of lawsuits related to the impact of its platforms on the mental health of young people.
A Meta spokesperson said the company disagrees with the decision and will appeal it. “We work hard to keep people safe on our platforms and are aware of the challenges associated with identifying and removing people who share harmful content,” the company said in a statement.
Meanwhile, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez called the decision "a historic victory for every child and family who has paid the price of Meta's choice to put profit over child safety."
In the second phase of the trial, expected to take place in May, the prosecutor's office will ask the court to force Meta to make changes to its platforms to protect children, as well as impose other financial sanctions.
During the six-week trial in Santa Fe, authorities accused Meta of allowing sexual predators to have free access to underage users and connect them with victims, often leading to real-life abuse and human trafficking.
