Meta Platforms has been ordered by a New Mexico court to pay $375 million in civil penalties after a jury found it misled users about the safety of its platforms for children, BBC reported.
The ruling follows a seven-week trial in which jurors examined internal company documents and heard testimony from former employees, including whistleblower Arturo Béjar. The case centred on allegations that Meta knowingly exposed young users to sexually explicit material and potential contact with predators, while publicly downplaying those risks.
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New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez called the verdict “historic,” saying it marks the first successful state-level lawsuit against the company over child safety concerns.
“Meta executives knew their products harmed children, disregarded warnings from their own employees, and lied to the public about what they knew,” Torrez said.
“Today the jury joined families, educators, and child safety experts in saying enough is enough.”
At the heart of the case was Meta's alleged violation of the state's Unfair Practices Act. Prosecutors argued that the company's recommendation algorithms actively “steered” minors toward harmful content, including sexually explicit material and abuse-related content. Internal research presented during the trial showed that, at one point, 16% of Instagram users reported being exposed to unwanted nudity or sexual content within a single week.
Béjar testified that his own underage daughter was approached for sex by a stranger on Instagram, underscoring the real-world risks highlighted in the case.
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Meta, led by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, has strongly disputed the verdict and plans to appeal. A company spokesperson said, “We work hard to keep people safe on our platforms and are clear about the challenges of identifying and removing bad actors and harmful content. We remain confident in our record of protecting teens online.”
The $375 million penalty reflects thousands of violations, each carrying a maximum fine of $5,000.
The case is one of many legal challenges facing Meta in the US, as regulators and families increasingly scrutinise how social media platforms impact children.
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