A US jury has ordered Meta to pay $375 million in civil penalties after finding the company misled users about the safety of its platforms and allowed harm—including child sexual exploitation—to occur.

The case, tried in New Mexico, is the first time a US-based social media giant has been held liable in a bench trial for the impact of content on its platforms, according to The Guardian on Wednesday.

“Historic victory for child safety”

“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,” said Raul Torrez, New Mexico’s attorney general.

“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,” Torrez added.

The fines represent the maximum allowed under New Mexico law: $5,000 per violation, totalling $375 million for breaching state consumer protection statutes.

Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, said it plans to appeal, asserting it will “continue to defend ourselves vigorously, and we remain confident in our record of protecting teens online.”

Next phase targets stronger platform protections

Torrez said the next phase, starting May 4, will pursue additional financial penalties and court-ordered changes to Meta’s platforms to bolster protections for children.

Experts say this case comes amid a growing global push to shield minors from social media harms, including addiction, reduced attention spans, and diminished self-esteem.