Meta ordered to pay US$375 million in New Mexico child safety trial
Meta said it would challenge the decision after a jury found the social media giant liable for endangering minors
A New Mexico jury on Tuesday found social media giant Meta liable for endangering children by making them vulnerable to predators on its platforms and other dangers.
The verdict came after roughly a day of deliberations following a six-week trial in which the state accused Facebook and Instagram’s parent company of failing to protect minors from sexual abuse, online solicitation and human trafficking.
The state had sought the maximum US$2.2 billion in damages, but the jury awarded a lesser amount of US$375 million.
The case, tried in a Santa Fe court, is among the first involving social media platforms and child safety to produce a jury verdict.