Meta failed to protect kids from sexual predators and misled users about its platforms’ safety, violating New Mexico law, a jury found in a landmark case.  Meta was at fault

     The tech giant was ordered to pay $375 million in civil penalties.  The verdict came after six weeks of testimony from witnesses that included ex-Meta executives, teachers and online safety experts.  New Mexico prosecutors argued that Meta hid the extent of safety issues that kids faced on Facebook and Instagram and failed to enforce its claimed minimum age limit of 13 – even as its algorithms allegedly made it easier for creeps to target kids for online harassment and even sex trafficking.

     “The safety issues that you’ve heard about in this case, weren’t mistakes,” state attorney Linda Singer told the jury.  “They were a product of a corporate philosophy that chose growth and engagement over children’s safety. And young people in this state and around the country have borne the cost,” she added. Meta said Tuesday it respectfully disagreed with the verdict and will appeal.  “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,” a spokesperson said in a statement.

     New Mexico attorneys had been seeking a whopping $2 billion in penalties against Meta for alleged violations of state law barring unfair trade practices. The case, brought by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez, was one of numerous trials across the country that could ultimately determine whether Big Tech companies are held responsible for harmful content on their platforms.  Meta strenuously pushed back on the allegations in New Mexico, arguing that it has taken many steps to improve safety and dedicated vast resources toward combating harm.

     “Meta has built innovative, automated tools to protect people,” Meta attorney Kevin Huff said during his closing argument. “Meta has 40,000 people working to make its apps as safe as possible.”  Huff described New Mexico’s request for $2 billion in penalties as “a shocking number.”