A court in New Mexico has ordered Meta to pay $375 million (£279 million) after finding that the company misled users about how safe its platforms are for children. A jury concluded that Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, was responsible for exposing children to risks such as sexually explicit content and contact with sexual predators.

New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez called the decision “historic,” noting that it is the first time a U.S. state has successfully sued Meta over child safety concerns.

Meta, led by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, said it disagrees with the ruling and plans to appeal. A company spokesperson stated that Meta works to keep users safe and is transparent about the challenges of detecting harmful content and bad actors, adding that it remains confident in its efforts to protect teenagers online.

The jury determined that Meta violated New Mexico’s Unfair Practices Act by giving the public a misleading impression of how safe its platforms are for young users.

During the seven-week trial, jurors reviewed internal company documents and heard testimony from former employees indicating that Meta was aware of child predators operating on its platforms.

One former engineering leader, Arturo Béjar, who left the company in 2021 and later became a whistleblower, testified about experiments he conducted on Instagram. These tests showed that underage users were being shown sexualized content. He also said his own daughter was approached online by a stranger seeking sex.

Prosecutors presented internal research from Meta showing that, at one point, 16% of Instagram users reported seeing unwanted nudity or sexual activity within a single week.

Meta argued that it has taken steps over the years to improve safety and reduce harmful activity on its platforms. In 2024, Instagram introduced Teen Accounts to give younger users more control, and recently added a feature to alert parents if their children search for self-harm content.

The $375 million penalty reflects thousands of violations identified by the jury, with each violation carrying a maximum fine of $5,000.

Meta is also facing another trial in Los Angeles, where a young woman claims she became addicted to platforms like Instagram and YouTube as a child due to their design.

Thousands of similar lawsuits are currently moving through U.S. courts.

New Mexico filed its lawsuit in 2023, accusing Meta of directing young users toward harmful content, including sexually explicit material and content related to child abuse or trafficking, through its recommendation algorithms.

Torrez said Meta executives were aware of the harm their products caused, ignored warnings from employees, and misled the public.

He added that the verdict sends a strong message from families, educators, and child safety experts that such practices are no longer acceptable.