$375 Million landmark verdict against Meta; judge rejects request to postpone trial
UPDATE (April 9, 2026) -- A New Mexico judge rejected Meta's request to postpone the bench trial, the New Mexico Department of Justice said Thursday.
Phase 2 of the trial begins May 4, the state DOJ said. Judge Bryan Biedscheid will hear the state's public nuisance claim and determine how Meta must fix the platforms the jury found liable.
The state said it will seek court-ordered changes to how Meta designs its products for children.
The proposed order would ban addictive features mentioned in the trial, NMDOJ said, including: autoplay and notifications during school and sleep hours.
Additionally, the order would ask for a monthly limit of 90 hours for New Mexico minors to use the platforms, NMDOJ said. Like and share counts would also be hidden for users who are under the age of 18.
NMDOJ said the order would require all minors' profiles to be private by default, block adults from messaging children they aren't connected to, bar end-to-end encryption for minors and impose a "one-strike" permanent ban for any account involved in exploitation. Additionally, every minor's account would require an associated guardian's account and age verification.
NMDOJ said the injection would stay in force for a minim of five years across Meta's platforms: Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, even if there's future changes in ownership.
SANTA FE, New Mexico (KVIA) - A historic win for the New Mexico Department of Justice as the state becomes the first to get a verdict against Meta.
A jury in the State of New Mexico v. Meta Platforms, Inc. trial found Meta is liable for "misleading consumers about the safety of its platforms and endangering children", according to a release from the New Mexico Department of Justice.
Meta has been ordered to pay $375 Million, the maximum penalty under the law, for violating New Mexico's consumer protection laws. That is roughly $5,000 per violation.
“The jury’s verdict is a historic victory for every child and family who has paid the price for Meta’s choice to put profits over kids’ safety,” said New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez. “Meta executives knew their products harmed children, disregarded warnings from their own employees, and lied to the public about what they knew. Today the jury joined families, educators, and child safety experts in saying enough is enough."
Torrez said the next phase is to seek additional financial penalties and court-mandated changes to Meta protections for children.
“The substantial damages the jury ordered Meta to pay should send a clear message to big tech executives that no company is beyond the reach of the law. Policymakers and law enforcement officials across the country can help make this verdict a turning point in the fight for children’s safety," said Torrez. "This is a watershed moment for every parent concerned about what could happen to their kids when they go online – and this victory belongs to them.”
NMDOJ worked for two years to hold Meta accountable, the investigation started in 2023 as a method to protect children from sexual abuse, online solicitation, and other harms.
The final claim against Meta will be through bench trial on May 4th.
