On March 24, 2026, a civil jury in Santa Fe delivered a landmark decision against Meta, ruling that the tech giant must pay $375 million for endangering minors.
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The Santa Fe jury, based in New Mexico, took less than a day to deliberate and reach its verdict. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, was found guilty of putting minors at risk. Consequently, the corporation led by Mark Zuckerberg was ordered to compensate the State of New Mexico with $375 million in damages.
What Prompted the Lawsuit Against Meta?
The lawsuit was initiated in 2023 by the state’s Attorney General, Raul Torrez, following a groundbreaking investigation. Undercover agents had set up fake social media accounts pretending to be children to see if they would receive sexual solicitations and to monitor how Meta responded to these reports. The attorney general claimed that the company’s apps had become a preferred destination for predators to exchange child pornography and solicit sexual favors from minors.
The jury agreed with Torrez, finding that Meta had violated the state’s consumer protection laws by failing to disclose the risks its platforms posed to children and had knowingly prioritized profits over safety.
Six-Hour Testimony by Mark Zuckerberg
A trial in California brought to light further damning evidence. Mark Zuckerberg was interrogated for over six hours on February 18, where he admitted that Instagram only started asking new users for their birth dates in 2019, and for existing accounts, this practice began only in 2021. An internal document from 2018, which was presented during the hearing, estimated that in 2015, there were 4 million Instagram accounts held by children under the age of 13, including 30% who were between 10 and 12 years old.
Further chilling revelations included the fact that in 2023, only 1.1% of teenagers used the feature that limited usage time, and only 2% used the feature to take breaks. These were regulatory tools that Meta had promoted as evidence of its commitment to user safety.
Could Social Networks Face a Ban?
Attorney General Raul Torrez hailed the verdict as a historic victory. Meanwhile, Meta announced its intention to appeal the decision. However, the ruling immediately sets a legal precedent at a time when hundreds of similar cases are underway across the country.
Other social media platforms like TikTok and Snapchat had already settled out of court. Google, on the other hand, was still facing a California jury that was deliberating over its case related to YouTube. In June 2026, a significant federal trial is set to take place in Oakland, where Meta, Google, TikTok, and Snapchat will be sued by school districts nationwide over costs associated with a youth mental health crisis.
Social networks are increasingly being scrutinized, and it is important to note that several countries are considering banning social media access for minors.
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Samantha Klein is a seasoned tech journalist with a sharp focus on Apple and mobile ecosystems. With over a decade of experience, she brings insightful commentary and deep technical understanding to the fast-evolving world of consumer technology.