Meta misled users about its products’ safety, jury decides | The VergeSkip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAIPolicyHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.Hamburger Navigation ButtonNavigation DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Login / Sign UpcloseCloseSearchTechExpandAmazonAppleFacebookGoogleMicrosoftSamsungBusinessSee all techReviewsExpandSmart Home ReviewsPhone ReviewsTablet ReviewsHeadphone ReviewsSee all reviewsScienceExpandSpaceEnergyEnvironmentHealthSee all scienceEntertainmentExpandTV ShowsMoviesAudioSee all entertainmentAIExpandOpenAIAnthropicSee all AIPolicyExpandAntitrustPoliticsLawSecuritySee all policyGadgetsExpandLaptopsPhonesTVsHeadphonesSpeakersWearablesSee all gadgetsVerge ShoppingExpandBuying GuidesDealsGift GuidesSee all shoppingGamingExpandXboxPlayStationNintendoSee all gamingStreamingExpandDisneyHBONetflixYouTubeCreatorsSee all streamingTransportationExpandElectric CarsAutonomous CarsRide-sharingScootersSee all transportationFeaturesVerge VideoExpandTikTokYouTubeInstagramPodcastsExpandDecoderThe VergecastVersion HistoryNewslettersArchivesStoreVerge Product UpdatesSubscribeFacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSThe VergeThe Verge logo.Meta misled users about its products’ safety, jury decidesComments DrawerCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...PolicyClosePolicyPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All PolicyNewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsTechCloseTechPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TechMeta misled users about its products’ safety, jury decidesNew Mexico got a historic $375 million jury verdict in the first of several cases nationwide against Meta.New Mexico got a historic $375 million jury verdict in the first of several cases nationwide against Meta.by Lauren FeinerCloseLauren FeinerSenior Policy ReporterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Lauren FeinerMar 24, 2026, 9:54 PM UTCLinkShareGiftLaura Normand / The VergePart OfSocial media on trial: tech giants face lawsuits over addiction, safety, and mental healthsee all updates Lauren FeinerCloseLauren FeinerPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Lauren Feiner is a senior policy reporter at The Verge, covering the intersection of Silicon Valley and Capitol Hill. She spent 5 years covering tech policy at CNBC, writing about antitrust, privacy, and content moderation reform.Meta willfully violated New Mexico law by misleading users about the safety of its products and engaging in an unconscionable trade practice, a jury found. The company will face a $375 million penalty for the violations, awarding the maximum penalty of $5,000 per violation for 37,500 violations across two counts. The jury decided against Meta on every count, though it declined to award a penalty as high as the state sought, which would have been closer to $2 billion.It’s a landmark verdict delivered just one day after closing arguments. New Mexico argued that Meta had flouted state law by misleading consumers and facilitating child predators on its platform. The state set up decoy accounts on Facebook to lure suspected predators to profiles that appeared to belong to minors, and said they found they were flooded with requests and messages from adults. Meta vehemently denied the allegations, saying the states’ investigation was flawed and that it has been truthful about the safety of its products.Another verdict in a case involving Meta’s product safety is expected soon in Los Angeles, where the jury has been deliberating for over a week in a case that also targets Google’s YouTube. Several more cases are waiting in the wings to go to trial. The New Mexico verdict is a historic win for a unique legal strategy pursued by Attorney General Raúl Torrez, focused on the tech platform’s own design, in an attempt to overcome the defense that online content is protected.“New Mexico is proud to be the first state to hold Meta accountable in court for misleading parents, enabling child exploitation, and harming kids,” Torrez said in a statement. “In the next phase of this legal proceeding, we will seek additional financial penalties and court-mandated changes to Meta’s platforms that offer stronger protections for children.”“We respectfully disagree with the verdict and will appeal,” Meta spokesperson Francis Brennan said in a statement. “We work hard to keep people safe on our platforms and are clear about the challenges of identifying and removing bad actors or harmful content. We will continue to defend ourselves vigorously, and we remain confident in our record of protecting teens online.”Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Lauren FeinerCloseLauren FeinerSenior Policy ReporterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Lauren FeinerLawCloseLawPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All LawMetaCloseMetaPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All MetaNewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsPolicyClosePolicyPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All PolicySpeechCloseSpeechPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All SpeechTechCloseTechPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TechMore in: Social media on trial: tech giants face lawsuits over addiction, safety, and mental healthMeta’s reckoning over kids safety is in the hands of two juriesLauren Feiner and Adi RobertsonMar 24Smart glasses in court are a privacy nightmareStevie BonifieldFeb 20The executive that helped build Meta’s ad machine is trying to expose itLauren FeinerFeb 19Most PopularMost PopularNvidia CEO Jensen Huang says ‘I think we’ve achieved AGI’The US government just banned consumer routers made outside the USDonut Lab’s solid-state battery could barely hold a charge after getting damagedWelp, I bought an iPhone againAyaneo says selling its Windows gaming handheld ‘is no longer sustainable’The Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. 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Meta faced a significant legal challenge with a jury in New Mexico delivering a historic $375 million verdict against the company, marking the first of several nationwide cases aimed at holding the tech giant accountable. The verdict, announced on March 24, 2026, centered on Meta’s alleged misleading practices regarding the safety of its products, particularly Facebook, and its facilitation of child predators. Attorney General Raúl Torrez of New Mexico asserted that Meta willfully violated state law by deceiving consumers about the safety of its platforms and enabling harmful activity. The jury determined that Meta engaged in an “unconscionable trade practice,” assigning a penalty of $5,000 per violation across approximately 37,500 counts. While the state initially sought a substantially larger penalty of nearly $2 billion, the jury ultimately reduced the award, reflecting a nuanced understanding of the complexities surrounding online content moderation and platform responsibility.

The case stemmed from a unique investigative tactic utilized by the New Mexico Attorney General’s office, which established decoy accounts on Facebook to attract suspected predators who were reportedly targeting minors. The state discovered a flood of requests and messages from adults using these accounts, providing evidence of Meta's alleged failure to adequately monitor and remove harmful content. Meta vehemently disputed these allegations, maintaining that its investigations were flawed and asserting its commitment to protecting teens online. Francis Brennan, Meta’s spokesperson, stated that the company would appeal the verdict, emphasizing the challenges inherent in identifying and removing malicious actors and harmful content from its expansive platforms. The verdict signals a potential shift in the legal landscape surrounding tech companies and their responsibilities concerning user safety, particularly in relation to vulnerable populations. It also establishes a precedent for similar lawsuits targeting other social media platforms, most notably Google’s YouTube, currently under review in a separate trial where a jury is deliberating. The New Mexico legal strategy, focused on Meta’s design, aims to circumvent traditional defenses centered on the difficulty of policing online content. Torrez emphasized the importance of holding Meta accountable for the harm inflicted on children and families, intending future legal action to implement platform-level changes that offer stronger protections. The potential for further verdicts against Meta underscores the growing scrutiny and legal challenges facing the tech industry regarding product safety and user protection.