SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO (KFOX14/CBS4) — A New Mexico jury found Meta liable for misleading consumers about the safety of its platforms and endangering children, ordering the company to pay $375 million in civil penalties for violating the state’s consumer protection laws.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 18: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg leaves the Los Angeles Superior Court after testifying on February 18, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. A 20-year-old California woman sued Meta and YouTube, accusing them of building addictive platforms that cause harm to children. (Photo by Wally Skalij/Getty Images)
The verdict in the landmark State of New Mexico v. Meta Platforms, Inc. trial makes New Mexico the first state in the nation to win against a major tech company accused of harming young people.
The jury ordered Meta to pay the maximum penalty under the law of $5,000 per violation, totaling $375 million.
The jury found Meta liable for both claims brought by the state under the Unfair Practices Act.
“The jury’s verdict is a historic victory for every child and family who has paid the price for Meta’s choice to put profits over kids’ safety,” New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez said. “Meta executives knew their products harmed children, disregarded warnings from their own employees, and lied to the public about what they knew.
Torrez said the state plans to pursue additional penalties and changes to Meta’s platforms in the next phase of the case.
Chief Judge Bryan Biedscheid talks with Linda Singer, an attorney representing the plaintiff, and attorney Kevin Huff, representing Meta, during the closing arguments, Monday, March 23, 2026, in state court, in Santa Fe, N.M., in a trial where the social media conglomerate is accused of misleading its users about how safe its platforms are for children. (Eddie Moore/The Albuquerque Journal via AP, Pool)
“New Mexico is proud to be the first state to hold Meta accountable in court for misleading parents, enabling child exploitation, and harming kids. In the next phase of this legal proceeding, we will seek additional financial penalties and court-mandated changes to Meta’s platforms that offer stronger protections for children,” Torrez said.
“The substantial damages the jury ordered Meta to pay should send a clear message to big tech executives that no company is beyond the reach of the law. Policymakers and law enforcement officials across the country can help make this verdict a turning point in the fight for children’s safety. This is a watershed moment for every parent concerned about what could happen to their kids when they go online – and this victory belongs to them,” he added.
The verdict follows more than two years of litigation by the New Mexico Department of Justice after the department initiated an investigation in 2023 of Meta’s platforms aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse, online solicitation, and other harms.
The department said internal Meta documents and testimony obtained during the litigation showed repeated warnings from Meta employees and outside child safety experts about dangers on the company’s platforms.
A thriving future requires water security and for several decades, water scarcity in Eastern New Mexico has been an issue. (Drew Powell/KVII)
According to the evidence presented at trial, including internal Meta documents and testimony from former Meta employees, law enforcement officials, and New Mexico educators, Meta’s design features enabled pedophiles and predators to engage in child sexual exploitation on its platforms.
Witnesses and other industry experts also testified that Meta intentionally designs its platforms to addict young people and, contrary to its public commitments, expose them to dangerous content related to eating disorders and self-harm.
The New Mexico Department of Justice’s final claim against Meta is scheduled to be heard in a bench trial beginning May 4.
During that phase, the department plans to argue its public nuisance case and seek injunctive relief, including additional damages and changes to Meta’s platforms and company operations.
The requested changes include enacting effective age verification, removing predators from the platform, and protecting minors from encrypted communications that shield bad actors.
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