The essentials
New Mexico jury finds Meta committed thousands of child safety violations, risking a $375 million penalty.
A New Mexico jury has found Meta violated the state's consumer protection law in connection with child safety on its platforms, following a trial that began on February 9 and lasted nearly seven weeks in Santa Fe.
The jury identified thousands of violations, each of which counts toward a potential $375 million penalty against the company.
The state's case relied in part on undercover agents posing as children to document instances of sexual solicitation occurring on Meta's platforms, providing direct evidence of the alleged harms.
A second phase of the trial, potentially scheduled for May, will address separate public nuisance claims against the company.
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Thousands of Violations Found, Raising Stakes for Meta
The jury's finding of thousands of individual violations significantly amplifies the financial exposure Meta faces. With each violation counting toward a potential $375 million penalty, the verdict sets a high-stakes precedent for how state consumer protection laws can be applied to social media platforms in child safety cases. A second phase on public nuisance claims could extend Meta's legal liability further.
Undercover Agents Provided Core Evidence in State's Case
Central to New Mexico's nearly seven-week case was the use of undercover agents who posed as children to document sexual solicitations on Meta's platforms. This investigative approach offered direct, firsthand documentation of the alleged conduct, forming a key pillar of the state's argument that Meta failed to adequately protect minors from harm on its services.