Santa Fe has just dropped a bombshell. On Tuesday, March 24, a jury in a New Mexico civil court found Meta liable for endangering underage users on Facebook and Instagram. Six weeks of hearings, less than a day of deliberations, and in the end, a decision that sounds like a warning: social media platforms cannot forever hide behind their fine words about safety.
The California-based company was ordered to pay $375 million in damages. This is a significant sum, but falls short of the roughly two billion dollars sought by Attorney General Raul Torrez, who based his claim on an estimate of just over 200.000 monthly users under the age of 18 in the state. The figure itself speaks volumes: this trial is not a theoretical dispute; it concerns a young, massive, and lucrative market.
A verdict that sets a precedent against social media giants
Meta followed up by announcing it would appeal. "We work hard to protect users of our platforms and are transparent about the challenges of identifying and suspending malicious users and harmful content," a spokesperson said. It's the usual tech refrain, caught between claims of unwavering goodwill and the stubborn reality of imperfect moderation when the system is running at full capacity.
Raul Torrez, for his part, claims this is a wake-up call. He sued Meta in late 2023, accusing the company of exposing children to inappropriate content and sexual predators, while misleading parents about the extent of the protections. "New Mexico is proud to be the first state to hold parents accountable for deceiving them, allowing the exploitation of minors, and endangering children," he insisted, adding that "no company is above the law." The lawsuit also targeted the very design of the services, suspected of encouraging heavy use among young people despite known risks.
However, this ruling extends beyond the borders of New Mexico. Similar proceedings are underway elsewhere in the United States, such as in Los Angeles, where Meta and Google are being sued for apps deemed conducive to prolonged use by teenagers, and the jury has not yet reached a verdict. For the digital economy, the message is clear: regulation will not only come from parliaments; it will also be shaped in courtrooms, with millions of dollars in the process and appeals to come.
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