A New Mexico jury found that Meta is liable for putting children in danger, harming children’s mental health, and misleading users about safety. Meta is the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.
State prosecutors asked for $2 billion in damages, but the jurors decided on $375 million. Meta earned $201 billion in revenue in 2025.
New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez said, “This is the first time in American history that a state-led action’s been able to hold a big tech company accountable for the harms that they’ve created and allowed to grow on their platforms.”
Juror Linda Payton said, “I don’t believe they’re doing these things to intentionally harm children and like they want that to happen. But I really do think they could be doing more.”
Prosecutors claimed that Meta was aware that some features could lead to child exploitation, but ignored the problem.
Meta announced it disagrees with the verdict and will appeal.
“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,” the company said in a statement.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company tries to police criminal activity online, but it can’t stop everyone.
In a separate trial in Los Angeles, a jury is deliberating on whether Meta and YouTube bear responsibility in a user’s alleged social media addiction.
Critics have alleged for years that social media platforms include deliberate design choices that make them addictive and serve up content that leads to depression, eating disorders or suicide.
