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Jury finds Meta misled users, orders $375 million penalty in New Mexico case

A New Mexico jury ruled Meta misled users about product safety and enabled harm to children, imposing the maximum statutory penalty of $375 million; Meta says it will appeal.

Mar 24th 2026 · United States

Insights

  • A jury found Meta willfully violated New Mexico law and committed an unconscionable trade practice.
  • The court awarded $375 million, set as $5,000 per violation for 37,500 violations across two counts.
  • New Mexico investigators used decoy Facebook accounts and said adult users flooded profiles that appeared to be minors.
  • Meta said it will appeal and maintains it works to keep people safe while disputing the state’s investigation.
  • The verdict follows Attorney General Raúl Torrez’s strategy targeting platform design and comes as related trials, including one in Los Angeles, are underway.

Sources