Jury reaches verdict in major Meta child safety trial in New Mexico

A jury has delivered its verdict in a significant New Mexico civil trial where the state's attorney general accused Meta of failing to adequately protect its social media platforms from child predators.

The civil proceedings, which commenced with opening arguments on February 9 in a Santa Fe courthouse, focus on allegations that Meta violated state consumer protection laws and misled New Mexico residents about the safety of platforms including Facebook and Instagram. New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez initiated the lawsuit against Meta in 2023 following an undercover investigation that involved creating a fictitious social media profile representing a 13-year-old girl, which he previously described to CNBC as being "simply inundated with images and targeted solicitations" from child predators.

Jury deliberations began on Monday, with jurors tasked with ruling either in favor of or against the plaintiff Meta. During closing statements on Monday, Linda Singer, an attorney representing New Mexico, encouraged jury members to impose a civil penalty against Meta that could exceed $2 billion.

Meta has consistently denied New Mexico's allegations and has previously stated that it remains "focused on demonstrating our longstanding commitment to supporting young people."

The trial's second phase, scheduled to begin later this summer and conducted without a jury, will see a judge determine whether Meta created a public nuisance and should be required to fund public programs designed to address the alleged harms.

Part of broader legal challenges

The New Mexico case represents one of several social media-related trials occurring this year that legal experts have compared to the landmark Big Tobacco litigation of the 1990s, largely due to allegations that technology companies misled the public about the safety and potential risks associated with their products.

In a separate personal injury trial involving Meta and Google's YouTube, jury members in a Los Angeles Superior Court have been deliberating since last Friday. This major trial centers on allegations that the companies misled the public about the safety and design of their respective applications. The Los Angeles jury must determine whether one or both companies implemented specific design features that contributed to the mental distress of a plaintiff identified as K.G.M., who claims she developed an addiction to social media platforms while underage.

The Los Angeles case serves as a bellwether trial, meaning its outcome will significantly influence verdicts in similar and related California lawsuits organized under Judicial Council Coordination Proceedings.

Additionally, a separate federal trial in the Northern District of California is scheduled to commence later this year. In this case, multiple school districts and parents nationwide allege that Meta, YouTube, TikTok, and Snap's actions and applications have caused negative mental health impacts on teenagers and children.