Signage outside Meta headquarters in Menlo Park, California, US, on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024. Meta Platforms Inc. released earnings figures on February 1. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images
SANTA FE, N.M. – A New Mexico jury ruled Tuesday that social media giant Meta harms children’s mental health and violates state consumer protection laws.
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The jury agreed with allegations that Meta made false or misleading statements and also agreed that Meta engaged in “unconscionable” trade practices that unfairly took advantage of the vulnerabilities of and inexperience of children.
Jurors found there were thousands of violations, each counting separately toward a penalty of $375 million.
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New Mexico’s case was among the first to reach trial in a wave of litigation involving social media platforms and their impacts on children.
In a federal court in California, a jury has been sequestered in deliberations for more than a week about whether Meta and YouTube should be liable for harms caused to children on their platforms, in one of three bellwether court cases that could set the course for thousands of similar lawsuits.
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New Mexico’s case relied on a state undercover investigation where agents created social media accounts posing as children to document sexual solicitations and Meta’s response.
“Evidence shows not only that Meta invests in safety because it’s the right thing to do but because it is good for business,” Meta attorney Kevin Huff told jurors in closing arguments. “Meta designs its apps to help people connect with friends and family, not to try to connect predators.”
New Mexico prosecutors say Meta still should be responsible for its role in pushing out that content through complex algorithms that proliferate material that can be harmful for children.
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The Source: The Associated Press contributed to this report. The information in this story comes primarily from the New Mexico civil trial against Meta. This story was reported from Los Angeles.
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