A New Mexico jury has found Meta liable for misleading consumers about the safety of its platforms and endangering children. Meta is ordered to pay $375 million in damages for violating state consumer protection laws. State Attorney General Raul Torrez, in a statement, said that Meta executives knew their products harmed children, disregarded internal warnings, and lied to the public about what they knew. He further notes that maximum fines send a message to big tech companies/executives that no one is above the law.
The investigation into Meta’s platforms was launched by New Mexico’s Department of Justice in 2023. The main motive was to protect children from bad actors who sought to sexually abuse or solicit minors. The state’s evidence included findings from that investigation, as well as internal Meta documents and testimony from former Meta employees, child safety experts, law enforcement officials, and others.
“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, ” said Mr. Torrez in a statement. The state also argued that Meta’s design features helped pedophiles sexually exploit children on Meta platforms.
Mr. Torrez said he would ask the judge, Bryan Biedscheid, for additional financial penalties during the bench trial. The State plans to ask the court to force changes to Meta’s apps to make them safer for young users.
The company plans to appeal
On its part, Meta plans to appeal the jury’s decision. “We will continue to defend ourselves vigorously, and we remain confident in our record of protecting teens online,” Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said in a statement to the New York Times. As a refresher, Meta’s social media platforms include Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
This is also Meta’s first loss among several trials happening this year. In Los Angeles, Meta and YouTube are on trial for allegedly designing addictive products for minors. Though Snapchat and TikTok were part of the trial, they settled out of court.
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