A New Mexico jury just handed Meta one of its biggest courtroom defeats yet.
After six weeks of testimony and less than a day of deliberation, a New Mexico jury found that Meta knowingly misled the public about child safety on its platforms and engaged in practices that endangered young users.
Here are the key takeaways from the historic $375 million ruling that child safety advocates are calling a “watershed moment.”
Profits were put over protection
The heart of the state’s case was the argument that Meta knew its apps were being used by predators but chose to prioritize engagement and growth anyway. Prosecutors argued that features like algorithmic recommendations and direct messaging essentially rolled out a red carpet for bad actors.
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez didn’t mince words after the win. “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,” Torrez said.
The $375 million math: 75,000 violations
The fine wasn’t just a random number. Jurors arrived at the $375 million total by identifying 37,500 teenagers potentially affected in New Mexico. Because the jury found Meta violated two separate provisions of the state’s Unfair Practices Act, that tallied up to 75,000 specific violations. They then applied the maximum penalty of $5,000 per violation.
According to the Santa Fe New Mexican, juror Linda Payton explained that the number represented the teenagers in New Mexico that they felt were potentially affected: “I don’t think they are doing it on purpose, but they are aware of what is going on and they know the extent of it, and they really do need to fix it as best as they can, better than they have been doing.”
The ‘section 230’ shield is showing cracks
For years, tech companies have relied on Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act to avoid being sued for what users post on their sites. However, this case took a different route. Instead of focusing on the content itself, New Mexico targeted Meta’s business practices and product design.
By arguing that Meta’s deceptive claims about safety violated consumer law, the state bypassed the traditional legal shields that usually protect Big Tech. That’s a significant legal distinction that could open doors in future cases.
This isn’t over – phase two starts in May
The $375 million verdict is just the first act.
A second phase of the trial, scheduled to begin May 4th, will determine whether Meta’s platforms created a public nuisance — and if so, what the company must actually do about it. The state is pushing for court-mandated changes, including effective age verification, removal of predators from platforms, and stronger protections around encrypted communications.
A judge, not a jury, will make those calls.
Meta plans to appeal
A Meta spokesperson said the company respectfully disagrees with the verdict and confirmed it will appeal, adding that it works hard to keep people safe and remains “confident in our record of protecting teens online.”
On appeal, legal experts say Meta is likely to argue that the penalty is disproportionate and point to its recent safety investments, including Teen Accounts with default protections for 13-to-17-year-olds, AI tools for detecting grooming, and expanded parental supervision features, as evidence of good-faith efforts.
Also read: Lawmakers are probing Elon Musk’s Grok AI over deepfakes involving minors, raising new concerns about AI accountability.