JUST IN: Jury Finds Meta Liable and Orders Them To Pay $375 Million In Landmark Child Exploitation Case

A recording of Meta Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s deposition is played for the jurors on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, in Santa Fe, N.M. (Jim Weber/Santa Fe New Mexican via AP, Pool)

A New Mexico jury found Meta liable for failing to warn users about the dangers to minors that their social media platforms presented, in what could be a landmark case for social media regulation.

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez sued Meta in 2023 and accused the company of not doing enough to warn users or protect minors from predators and other exploitative materials on Facebook and Instagram.

Torrez’s previously conducted an undercover operation and accused Meta of shutting down accounts his office was using to investigate alleged child abuse on the platforms. In his lawsuit, the attorney general accused Meta of creating a “breeding ground” for child sexual predators. Torrez’s investigation led to three arrests of New Mexico men who interacted with fake child accounts.

“Our investigation into Meta’s social media platforms demonstrates that they are not safe spaces for children but rather prime locations for predators to trade child pornography and solicit minors for sex,” Torrez said when announcing the lawsuit.

Tuesday’s decision means Meta could be paying $375 million in civil penalties for violating New Mexico’s consumer protection laws.

The six-week trial concluded with closing arguments on Monday after testimony from whistleblowers and others in the landmark social media case. The decision from New Mexico could influence numerous lawsuits Meta and other platforms like YouTube are facing in various states, many of them related directly to the mental health of minors.

Meta long denied the accusations from Torrez, arguing they offer plenty of warning and safety features for minors. The company said they’ll be appealing the new decision.

“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.”

This is a breaking story and it has been updated.

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