Meta, led by Mark Zuckerberg, faces a landmark $375 million verdict after a New Mexico jury ruled the company misled users about platform safety, enabling child exploitation. The Santa Fe court found Meta violated consumer protection laws by downplaying risks that allowed predators to target minors. Attorney General Raúl Torrez called it a “historic victory” for families harmed by Meta’s “profit-over-kids” approach, citing internal warnings ignored by executives. Meta plans to appeal, insisting it “remains confident in its record of protecting teens.”

The case, part of a broader wave of lawsuits against tech giants, highlights growing scrutiny over social media’s role in youth harm. Los Angeles juries are separately evaluating Meta’s addictive design features in a mental health trial. Torrez vows to push for stricter app modifications during a bench trial starting May 4. Fairplay, a child safety group, praised the verdict as a “first step toward real accountability,” noting Meta’s platforms like Instagram are “breeding grounds” for exploitation.

The trial featured undercover investigations where officials posed as minors to document predatory interactions. Testimony from teachers and whistleblowers underscored systemic safety failures. Josh Golin of Fairplay emphasized the ruling’s symbolic weight: “The chickens are coming home to roost.” Meta’s legal battles mirror similar cases against Snap, TikTok, and YouTube, signaling a pivotal moment for regulatory action against tech industry practices.

Key entities: Meta, New Mexico, Raúl Torrez, Santa Fe, Los Angeles, Fairplay, Josh Golin. Primary keyword: Meta child safety verdict. Secondary keywords: social media lawsuits, child exploitation, platform accountability, tech regulation, consumer protection laws.