TL;DR
- A Santa Fe jury ordered Meta to pay $375 million in civil penalties on March 24, 2026, finding the company knowingly harmed children’s mental health and concealed what it knew about child sexual exploitation on its platforms.
- On August 6, 2026, Judge Bryan Biedscheid added $567 million in remedies, bringing the total to $942 million — plus mandatory platform changes.
- It is the first time a US state has successfully sued Meta over child safety. Meta says it will appeal, so the ruling is not final.
In a landmark outcome for online child safety, a New Mexico jury has ordered Meta — the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp — to pay $375 million in civil penalties for endangering minors on its platforms. According to the Associated Press and Al Jazeera, jurors found on March 24, 2026, after a six-week trial in Santa Fe, that the company violated New Mexico’s Unfair Practices Act, knowingly harmed children’s mental health, and concealed internal knowledge of child sexual exploitation risks.
An undercover investigation started it all
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez sued Meta and CEO Mark Zuckerberg in late 2023 after state investigators posed as Facebook and Instagram users under the age of 14. The AG’s office said those decoy accounts received sexually explicit material and were contacted by adults seeking such content — findings that also led to criminal charges against several individuals. At trial, jurors heard from 40 witnesses, including former employees turned whistleblowers, and reviewed hundreds of internal documents.
The bill rises to $942 million
In the trial’s second phase, Judge Bryan Biedscheid ruled on August 6, 2026, that Meta must pay an additional $567 million, the Associated Press reported. Of that sum, $420 million will fund treatment services for young people in New Mexico, with the remainder going to prevention, screening and awareness programs over five years. The court also ordered concrete changes: improved age-assurance tools, an “under-13 prediction model” to be developed within two years, a reporting portal for schools, and deletion of personal data collected from children under 13.
Meta will appeal
“We respectfully disagree with the verdict and will appeal,” a Meta spokesperson said, adding that the company works hard to keep people safe on its platforms. The judgment is a first-instance civil ruling and could be modified on appeal. Attorney General Torrez called it “a historic victory for every child and family who has paid the price for Meta’s choice to put profits over kids’ safety.”
The New Mexico case is only the beginning: 29 states are suing Meta in federal court in California, and eight more — including Tennessee, where a trial is under way — have filed in their own state courts. The total penalty of $942 million remains small compared with Meta’s roughly $60 billion in annual profit in 2025, and markets barely reacted.
FAQ
Was Meta fined in Michigan?
No. The verdict was delivered in New Mexico, by a jury in Santa Fe, in a case brought by the state’s attorney general.
Is this a settlement or a court judgment?
A court judgment: a jury verdict of $375 million on March 24, 2026, followed on August 6, 2026 by an additional $567 million ordered by Judge Bryan Biedscheid. Meta has announced it will appeal.
What will the money be used for?
Of the additional $567 million, $420 million will fund treatment services for young people, with the rest going to prevention, screening and awareness over five years.
Why is this ruling historic?
It marks the first time a US state has successfully sued Meta over child safety, potentially opening the door for thousands of similar claims nationwide.
Sources: Al Jazeera (AFP/Reuters/AP), PBS News / Associated Press, NBC News
Patrick Lancier
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