A New Mexico jury has ordered Meta to pay $375 million in civil penalties after finding the company violated state consumer protection law by misleading users about platform safety and enabling child sexual exploitation. The verdict follows a six-week trial where the state attorney general accused Meta of prioritizing profits over children's safety on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

After deliberating less than a day, jurors found Meta knowingly engaged in unfair trade practices and acted unconscionably toward New Mexico residents. The state alleged Meta hid internal knowledge about sexual exploitation risks while designing addictive features like infinite scroll that harm children's mental health. Meta plans to appeal, citing First Amendment and Section 230 protections.

The case marks the first jury verdict on such claims against Meta as the company faces thousands of lawsuits nationwide over youth mental health impacts. A second trial phase in May will determine whether Meta must implement platform changes including age verification and predator removal tools.