Landmark Verdict Says Meta Harmed Children, Allowing Adults to Prey on Them

A New Mexico jury found that Meta Platforms, which runs Facebook and Instagram, was liable for failing to protect young people from online dangers, including sexually explicit content, solicitation, and human trafficking. The jury found Meta liable for misleading consumers about the safety of its platforms and endangering children, under the state’s consumer protection laws. The jury ordered a maximum penalty for each violation, totaling $375 million in civil penalties. Meta made 160 times that amount of revenue in its most recent quarter. The case was among the first to test questions about whether social-media companies should be held responsible for the content posted on their platforms. New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez said this is the first time a state has prevailed at trial against a major tech company for harming young people. The lawsuit said Meta was proactively serving and directing underage users toward sexually explicit images, allowed adults to contact children for pornographic images, and let users find, share and sell enormous volumes of illegal child porn. Meta disagrees with the verdict and plans to appeal.