A New Mexico jury has found Meta liable for $375 million in damages for failing to protect children from child predators.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, was sued in 2023 by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez for allegedly creating a “breeding ground” for child predators, according to CNN.
“Meta’s business model of profit over child safety and business practices of misrepresenting the amount of dangerous material and conduct to which its platforms expose children violates New Mexico law,” the complaint reads. “Meta should be held accountable for the harms it has inflicted on New Mexico’s children.”
Democrat Attorney General of New Mexico Raúl Torrez sues Instagram, Facebook and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, in an effort to curb child sexual exploitation on its platforms.
The lawsuit reveals how users on META used the word “pizza” as code for child p*rn to evade detection for their… pic.twitter.com/OtiLaJ5wBn
— TexasLindsay™ (@TexasLindsay) December 8, 2023
According to CNBC, Torrez was inspired to file suit “following an undercover operation involving the creation of a fake social media profile of a 13-year-old girl that he previously [said] ‘was simply inundated with images and targeted solicitations’ from child abusers.”
During the civil trial, which began last month, state attorney Linda Singer called for jurors to impose a $2 billion penalty on Facebook. She cited cases like those of Arturo Bejar as a reason why.
“Ex-Meta engineering director-turned-whistleblower Arturo Bejar testified about his efforts to warn Meta executives after he says his own 14-year-old daughter received sexual solicitations on Instagram,” CNN notes. “And he claimed that the highly personalized algorithms that make Meta’s platforms so successful at serving ads can also benefit predators.”
“The product is very good at connecting people with interests, and if your interest is little girls, it will be really good at connecting you with little girls,” Bejar said in his own words.
Singer also had former Meta Vice President of Partnerships Brian Boland testify that he “absolutely did not believe that safety was a priority” to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg when he departed the company in 2020.
The defense, meanwhile, touted testimony from former Instagram chief Adam Mosseri, who said that Meta willingly rolled out certain safety features despite said features driving down growth and traffic.
The jury ultimately sided with Singer.
A New Mexico jury has found Meta liable for exposing children to sexual predators and misleading users about platform safety, ordering the company to pay $375 million in damages in a landmark child exploitation case. Meta says it plans to appeal. #WashingtonEye pic.twitter.com/PjebiJ4yum
— Washington Eye (@washington_EY) March 25, 2026
“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 in a statement following 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,” he added.
Meta has vowed to appeal.
“We respectfully disagree with the verdict and will appeal,” a spokesperson said. “We work hard to keep people safe on our platforms and are clear about the challenges of identifying and removing bad actors or harmful content. We will continue to defend ourselves vigorously, and we remain confident in our record of protecting teens online.”
The trial that just concluded was just part one.
“When the New Mexico trial’s second phase, conducted without a jury, commences on May 4, a judge will determine whether Meta created a public nuisance and should fund public programs intended to address the alleged harms,” according to CNBC.
“The state’s lawyers are also urging Meta to implement changes to its apps and operations, including ‘enacting effective age verification, removing predators from the platform, and protecting minors from encrypted communications that shield bad actors.'”
For Torrez, the AG, the wider battle is just getting started.
“One of the things that I am really focused on is how we can change the design features of these products, at least within New Mexico, and that would create a standard that could then be modeled elsewhere in the country, and, frankly, around the world,” he told CNBC.
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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