Jury finds Meta culpable of harming New Mexico teens

Jurors on Tuesday found digital media giant Meta culpable of failing to protect New Mexico teenagers on the company's platforms in a verdict that came less than a day after attorneys ended closing arguments in the six-week trial.

The jury ordered Meta to pay $375 million in civil penalties for New Mexico's consumer protection laws. The jury found Meta liable for both claims brought by the New Mexico under the state’s Unfair Practices Act.

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez filed the suit against Meta Platforms and CEO Mark Zuckerberg in 2023, alleging the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp failed to protect children from sexual abuse, online solicitation and human trafficking.

“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 of the verdict. “Meta executives knew their products harmed children, disregarded warnings from their own employees, and lied to the public about what they knew. Today the jury joined families, educators, and child safety experts in saying enough is enough.”

Attorneys for New Mexico asked jurors on Monday to impose a penalty of more than $2 billion against digital giant Meta, arguing the company failed to protect teenage users from sexual predators and harmful content on its online platforms.

The next phase of New Mexico's legal action against Meta will be a bench trial before First Judicial District Judge Bryan Biedscheid seeking additional financial penalties and court-mandated changes to Meta's platforms that offer stronger protections for children, Torrez said in a statement. That portion of the trial has not been scheduled.

“New Mexico is proud to be the first state to hold Meta accountable in court for misleading parents, enabling child exploitation, and harming kids," Torrez said.

Jurors found 37,500 violations of state law, or 25% of New Mexico teenagers, and affixed the penalty at $5,000 per violation, the maximum penalty allowed under the Unfair Practices Act. 

Journal Capitol Bureau Chief Dan Boyd contributed to this report

Olivier Uyttebrouck covers the court system. You can reach him at olivier@abqjournal.com.