Khaberni- A jury in New Mexico, USA, issued a historic ruling, imposing a $375 million civil penalty on the company "Meta".
The verdict came after it was proven that the company misled consumers about the safety of its platforms, facilitated harm to its users, including the sexual exploitation of children.
This is the first trial of its kind in which "Meta" is convicted for actions committed on its platforms, forming a major legal precedent against social media giants.
Attorney General Raul Torrez said: "This is a victory for every family that paid the price when Meta prioritized its profits over the safety of children. Its officials knew their products were harming children, ignored the warnings, and lied to the public."
The lawsuit dates back to December 2023, following an investigation by "The Guardian" revealing that "Facebook" and "Instagram" had become markets for child sex trafficking.
The panel fined "Meta" the maximum penalty, $5000 per violation, totaling $375 million, for violating consumer protection laws.
"Meta" announced it would appeal the verdict, accusing the Attorney General of presenting "provocative arguments". A company spokesperson said: "We disagree with the verdict and will appeal, we strive hard to maintain safety, and remain confident in our record of protecting teenagers."
Internal documents revealed that employees and safety experts issued repeated warnings ignored by the executive management. Evidence included the arrest of three men in 2024 on charges of exploiting children through Meta platforms, in a covert operation dubbed "Metafail".
The court heard that the encryption of "Facebook Messenger" prevented access to crucial evidence in exploitation crimes, and that "Meta's" excessive reliance on artificial intelligence produced unhelpful reports that hindered investigations.
Torrez is seeking to impose additional financial penalties in the next stage and obligate "Meta" to implement changes including age verification and protecting minors from encrypted communications.
In recorded testimonies, Mark Zuckerberg and "Instagram" CEO Adam Mosseri said the harm to children was "inevitable" given the scale of the users, while company officials testified about investing billions to protect children through teen accounts.
A judge in June 2024 refused to use "Meta" for Article 230 to dismiss the case, as the issue was related to product design, not user content. The trial lasted seven weeks, and the panel deliberated for only one day, reflecting a firm conviction in the evidence.
"Meta" faces a separate lawsuit in Los Angeles with "Snapchat", "TikTok", and "YouTube" for designing platforms that are addictive for children, contributing to the spread of depression, eating disorders, and self-harm among teenagers.
"Snap" and "TikTok" have reached settlements, while "Meta" and "YouTube" continue to challenge the claims. All companies deny committing any violations, and the jury is still deliberating on its verdict.
