Meta must pay $375 million for violating New Mexico law in child exploitation case, jury rules

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Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg arrives at Los Angeles Superior Court on Feb. 18, 2026.

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A jury has reached a verdict in a major New Mexico trial in which the state’s attorney general alleged that Meta failed to safeguard its family of apps from child predators.

The civil trial, in which opening arguments began on Feb. 9 in a Santa Fe courthouse, centers on allegations that Meta violated state consumer protections laws and misled residents about the safety of apps like Facebook and Instagram. New Mexico attorney general Raúl Torrez sued Meta in 2023 following an undercover operation involving the creation of a fake social media profile of a 13-year-old girl that he previously told CNBC  “was simply inundated with images and targeted solicitations” from child abusers.

Deliberations began Monday, and jurors were tasked with ruling in favor or against the defendant Meta. Jury members found that Meta willfully violated the state’s unfair practices act.

The jury ultimately decided that Meta should pay $375 million in damages.

Linda Singer, an attorney representing New Mexico, urged jury members during closing statements on Monday to impose a civil penalty against Meta that could top $2 billion.

“We respectfully disagree with the verdict and will appeal,” a Meta 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.”

Meta has denied the state of New Mexico’s allegations and previously said that it is “focused on demonstrating our longstanding commitment to supporting young people.”

When the New Mexico trial’s second phase, conducted without a jury, commences later in summer, a judge will determine whether Meta created a public nuisance and should fund public programs intended to address the alleged harms.

The New Mexico case is one of multiple social media-related trials taking place this year that experts have compared to the Big Tobacco suits from the 1990s due in part to allegations that the companies misled the public about the safety and potential harms of their products.

Jury members in a separate, personal injury trial involving Meta and Google’s YouTube have been deliberating in a Los Angeles Superior court since last Friday as part of a major trial which the companies are alleged to have misled the public about the safety and design of their respective apps. The LA jury must determine whether one or both of the companies implemented certain design features that contributed to the mental distress of a plaintiff known as K.G.M. who alleged that she became addicted to social media apps when she was underage.

That Los Angeles case is known as a bellwether in that its outcome will help determine verdicts in similar and connected California lawsuits under so-called Judicial Council Coordination Proceedings.

A separate federal trial in the Northern District of California will commence later this year in which multiple school districts and parents across the nation allege that that the actions and apps of Meta, YouTube, TikTok and Snap caused negative mental-health related harms to teenagers and children.

This is breaking news. Please check back for updates.

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