Jury Sides With New Mexico
A New Mexico jury found Meta liable for harming children's mental health and violating the state's consumer protection laws. The verdict, delivered Tuesday, orders the parent company of Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp to pay $375 million in damages. The decision follows a trial where state prosecutors argued that Meta prioritized profits over the safety of its young users.
Unfair Practices
Jurors agreed that Meta engaged in "unconscionable" trade practices, unfairly exploiting the vulnerabilities and inexperience of children. They determined that Meta made false or misleading statements regarding the safety of its platforms. The jury found thousands of violations, each contributing to the final penalty amount.
Prosecution's Argument
New Mexico's case relied on an undercover investigation where agents created social media accounts posing as children. This allowed them to document sexual solicitations and Meta's response, according to the lawsuit filed in 2023 by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez. Prosecutors argued that Meta's algorithms proliferate harmful content for children. Prosecution attorney Linda Singer stated that Meta's choice to prioritize engagement and time spent for kids has "profound negative impacts."
Meta's Defense
A Meta spokesperson, Andy Stone, stated that the company disagrees with the verdict and will appeal. Attorneys for Meta argued that the company discloses risks and makes efforts to remove harmful content. Meta attorney Kevin Huff told jurors that the company designs its apps to help people connect with friends and family, not predators. Meta's attorneys acknowledged that some bad material gets through their safety net.
Trial Details
The New Mexico trial examined Meta's internal communications and reports related to child safety. Jurors heard testimony from Meta executives, platform engineers, whistleblowers, psychiatric experts, and tech safety consultants. The jury also heard testimony from local public school educators about disruptions linked to social media, including sextortion schemes targeting children.
Broader Implications
More than 40 state attorneys general have filed lawsuits against Meta, claiming the company is contributing to a mental health crisis among young people by deliberately designing addictive features. Another jury in a federal court in California has been sequestered in deliberations for more than a week about whether Meta and YouTube should be liable in a similar case. Sacha Haworth, executive director of The Tech Oversight Project, stated that Meta has failed to stop sexual predators from turning online interactions into real world harm.
Future Proceedings
A second phase of the trial, to be held before a judge in May, will determine whether Meta created a public nuisance. The judge may order Meta to change course and pay for remedies. The jury considered whether social media users were misled by statements about platform safety from Zuckerberg, Instagram head Adam Mosseri, and Meta global head of safety Antigone Davis.
Juror's Perspective
Juror Linda Payton, 38, said the jury compromised on the estimated number of teenagers affected by Meta's platforms, while opting for the maximum penalty per violation. She stated that she thought each child was worth the maximum $5,000 penalty.
