In what could be the first of many similar legal challenges, Meta was found liable for failing to protect young users from child predators in its apps, with a New Mexico state court jury approving $375 million in civil damages against the social media giant.
As reported by Reuters, the jury deliberated for less than a day before reaching a verdict. The jury found that Meta had violated state law by misleading users regarding app safety and also enabling child predators to target young users. The state had asked the jury to award more than $2 billion in damages, but the ruling eventually settled on a smaller penalty..
The case was originally pursued by New Mexico attorney general Raúl Torrez, who sued Meta in 2023 following an undercover operation to test Meta’s protections of children. That operation involved the creation of a fake social media profile of a 13-year-old girl to act as bait for child predators. In a January 2024 interview with CNBC, Torrez said that the profile was eventually “inundated with images and targeted solicitations.”
A core basis of the case was that Meta had prioritized growth over safety, and thus had failed to protect children in favor of pursuing profit. The jury heard recordings of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg saying that the company had been “slow to implement controls on minors’ use,” while the company was also questioned regarding a 2015 internal goal to increase users’ time spent on Instagram by 12% over three years.
Earlier in the week, Meta spokesman Andy Stone issued a statement on X which said the New Mexico Attorney General had made “sensationalist, irrelevant arguments,” and that throughout the trial, the State failed to prove its case.
Despite the verdict, Meta maintained this stance.
“We respectfully disagree with the verdict and will appeal,” Stone said in a March 24 post on X. “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.”
In isolation, the case is a costly, harmful trial for the social media giant. However, it may also set a new precedent for liability, which could open Meta up to similar litigation in other jurisdictions. Reuters said that this verdict was the first time a jury has ruled against Meta on claims such as these.
Meta said in a statement to Reuters that it would lodge an appeal. But if the finding is upheld, this could be the start of a much bigger legal push against the app.
For years, Meta has been fending off claims that it’s failed to protect teens. In 2021, the Wall Street Journal published a range of incendiary claims about the company’s approach to teen protection, among other concerns, based on interviews with former staff, and leaked internal documents. That expose, dubbed “The Facebook Files,” eventually led to Meta’s execs being hauled before Congress to explain themselves.
This new ruling is another advance in that effort, and one that could open the company up to further liabilities and civil suits.
