A jury in New Mexico found on Tuesday that Meta is responsible for deceiving consumers regarding the safety of its platforms and putting children at risk. Meta has been instructed to pay $375 million, the highest penalties for each infraction of New Mexico’s consumer protection regulations. “Meta executives were aware that their products were harmful to children, ignored warnings from their own staff, and misled the public about their knowledge,” declared New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez. “The significant damages the jury mandated Meta to pay should convey a clear message to large tech leaders that no corporation is above the law.”

Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, intends to contest the jury’s ruling. “We will persist in our strong defense, and we remain assured in our commitment to safeguarding teens online,” stated Meta spokesperson Andy Stone in a declaration to the New York Times.

In 2023, New Mexico’s Department of Justice initiated an investigation into Meta platforms to safeguard children from individuals aiming to sexually abuse or solicit minors, among various other threats. The state’s evidence incorporated findings from that investigation, internal documents from Meta, and testimonies from former Meta employees, child safety authorities, law enforcement personnel, and others. The state contended that Meta’s design features facilitated pedophiles in sexually exploiting children on its platforms.

This verdict marks Meta’s initial loss in a sequence of trials this year. In Los Angeles, Meta and YouTube are being tried for allegedly creating addictive products for minors. Snapchat and TikTok were involved in that case but reached a settlement out of court.