A jury in New Mexico has ordered Meta to pay $375 million in civil penalties for misleading consumers about platform safety and endangering children. This marks the first such verdict against the tech giant over harm to young people.

Attorney General Raúl Torrez called it a 'watershed moment', highlighting the severity of the issue and Meta's failure to protect its users from harm. The jury found executives knew their products could be harmful but disregarded warnings, misleading both employees and the public.

The case stemmed from an undercover investigation where state investigators created decoy accounts for minors, which were solicited with sexually explicit material by men who believed they would meet a 12-year-old girl. Internal documents and testimony showed repeated alarms about dangers on Meta's platforms being largely ignored.

Arturo Béjar, a former engineering leader at Meta, testified that the same algorithms used to target ads could equally aid predators in connecting with vulnerable users. Despite Zuckerberg’s dismissal of addictive research as inconclusive, evidence suggested his own company’s findings pointed otherwise.

Meta plans to appeal, while another case against them is ongoing in Los Angeles. This latest ruling could signal a shift towards stricter regulation and accountability for tech giants when it comes to protecting children online.