Meta, the parent company of Facebook, just lost hundreds of millions of dollars. A New Mexico jury on Tuesday found Meta Platforms violated the state law. In a lawsuit brought by the state attorney general, accusing the tech giant of misleading users about the safety of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp and enabling child sexual exploitation on those platforms.
As per Reuters, after deliberating less than a day, the jury found that Meta violated New Mexico’s consumer protection law and ordered the company to pay $375 million in civil penalties.
“We respectfully disagree with the verdict and will appeal,” a Meta spokesperson said in a statement. “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.”
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“Over the course of a decade, Meta has failed over and over again to act honestly and transparently,” Linda Singer, an attorney for the state, told the jury during closing arguments on Monday. “It [has] failed to act to protect young people in this state.”
What is Meta?
Meta Platforms is an American multinational technology company best known for owning and operating major social media and communication platforms. It was originally founded as Facebook in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg and his college roommates at Harvard University. In 2021, the company rebranded to Meta to reflect its broader focus on building the “metaverse,” a network of shared virtual environments that combines social interaction, digital experiences, and immersive technologies.
Meta’s headquarters are located in Menlo Park, California. The company owns several widely used platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. These platforms connect billions of users worldwide for communication, content sharing, and business activities.
In addition to social media, Meta invests heavily in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies through its Reality Labs division. The company generates most of its revenue from digital advertising, making it one of the largest and most influential technology firms globally.
As per Reuters, in a statement, New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez, a Democrat, called the verdict “a historic victory for every child and family who has paid the price for Meta’s choice to put profits over kids’ safety.”
“The substantial damages the jury ordered Meta to pay should send a clear message to big tech executives that no company is beyond the reach of the law,” he said.
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The outcome of this case underscores the increasing legal and societal scrutiny faced by major technology companies like Meta Platforms. As digital platforms become more deeply integrated into everyday life, expectations around user safety, transparency, and accountability have grown significantly. This ruling reflects a broader shift toward holding tech companies responsible not only for their products, but also for how those products are managed and monitored.
The case also highlights the tension between innovation and regulation, as companies balance rapid technological growth with evolving legal standards and public concerns. For governments and regulators, it signals a willingness to pursue stronger enforcement actions when corporate practices are seen as falling short.
It reinforces the idea that large technology firms operate in an environment where trust, compliance, and social responsibility are becoming just as important as growth and profitability.
“What the evidence shows is Meta’s robust disclosures and tireless efforts to prevent harmful content. And these disclosures mean that Meta did not knowingly and intentionally lie to the public,” Kevin Huff, an attorney for Meta, told the jury on Monday.