April 3, 2026, 11:21 am | Read time: 2 minutes
A jury in the U.S. state of New Mexico has ordered Meta to pay $375 million (about 325 million euros). According to the jury, the platform operator underestimated the dangers for young people on its platforms and presented the safety mechanisms too optimistically.
The verdict is among the clearest decisions by a U.S. court against a major social media provider in the area of online protection for minors.
Allegation of Inadequate Youth Protection
The trigger for the proceedings was, according to several reports, a lawsuit by the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office. The agency accuses Meta of portraying safety on services like Facebook and Instagram as better than it actually was. According to the plaintiffs, the company pointed to internal safety mechanisms, even though internal investigations showed that minors were still exposed to problematic content or unwanted contact attempts. The jury saw this as a clear violation of the state’s consumer protection law.
Investigations Confirm Numerous Violations
In the trial, the authorities’ own test investigations also played a central role. Accounts were created to simulate underage users to check the safety features. The results showed that such profiles were still exposed to inappropriate contact attempts despite the safety mechanisms. The jury considered these incidents as multiple individual violations of consumer protection law, each weighted separately. In the end, this led to a total penalty of $375 million. The plaintiffs had originally demanded around $2 billion.
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Meta Announces Appeal
Meta announced it would challenge the verdict. “We disagree with the verdict and will appeal,” the company stated. At the same time, Meta emphasized that it continuously works on platform safety and is aware of the difficulties in fully identifying and removing harmful content or problematic users. Nevertheless, the company expressed confidence in having a strong record of protecting young people.
Pressure on the Industry Grows
The case from New Mexico is not the only legal dispute for major internet companies. In the U.S., several lawsuits are ongoing over potential harm caused by social networks to children and adolescents. In a trial in the state of California, a jury awarded a young plaintiff about $6 million in damages. The plaintiff accuses Meta and Google of deliberately designing their platforms to be addictive. Features like endless feeds or automatic recommendations led to excessive use and triggered mental health issues. Observers see this as a potential signal for the entire industry.