Meta Fined $375M in Child Mental Health Lawsuit: Social Media Trials Heat Up

SANTA FE, N.M. — A Fresh Mexico jury on Tuesday found Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, liable for harming the mental health of children and imposed a $375 million penalty, marking the first major jury verdict in a wave of lawsuits targeting social media companies over their impact on young users.

The verdict, while a small fraction of Meta’s $201 billion revenue in 2025, signals a growing shift in public perception and legal scrutiny of social media platforms and their responsibility for user safety. The case centered on allegations that Meta prioritized profits over the well-being of children, failing to adequately protect them from exploitation and the negative effects of addictive platform design.

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez, who filed the lawsuit in 2023, presented evidence gathered by investigators posing as children on social media, documenting instances of sexual solicitation and Meta’s response – or lack thereof – to those encounters. Torrez is seeking to compel Meta to implement more robust age verification measures and actively remove harmful actors from its platforms.

After a nearly seven-week trial, the jury found Meta in violation of the state’s Unfair Practices Act, determining the company concealed knowledge of the dangers of child sexual exploitation and the detrimental impacts of its platforms on children’s mental health. Jurors agreed that Meta engaged in “unconscionable” trade practices, exploiting the vulnerabilities of young users.

“We operate hard to keep people safe on our platforms and are clear about the challenges of identifying and removing bad actors or harmful content,” Meta said in a statement, adding that the company disagrees with the verdict and intends to appeal. Santa Fe New Mexican reported on the verdict.

The New Mexico case is one of several ongoing legal battles challenging social media companies’ liability for harms to children. A separate, high-profile case is currently underway in Los Angeles, where jurors are deliberating whether the design features of Meta’s Instagram and YouTube are intentionally addictive, particularly for young users. TikTok and Snap settled before the trial began. The Los Angeles case centers on the experiences of a 20-year-classic plaintiff, identified as “KGM,” whose case could set a precedent for thousands of similar lawsuits. PBS NewsHour provides further details on the Los Angeles case.

Another multidistrict litigation, scheduled for trial this summer in Oakland, California, involves six school districts suing social media companies, alleging that platforms contribute to student mental health crises and addiction. Lawyers involved in this case, including Jayne Conroy, who previously litigated against pharmaceutical companies in the opioid crisis, argue that social media platforms exploit the developing brains of children, triggering dopamine responses similar to those associated with substance addiction.

These cases raise fundamental questions about the protections afforded to social media companies under Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act and their First Amendment rights. Outcomes could result in significant financial penalties, force changes to platform design, and potentially lead to increased regulation of the tech industry.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, during questioning in the Los Angeles trial, maintained his position that existing scientific evidence has not definitively proven a causal link between social media use and mental health harms. However, analysts like Minda Smiley of Emarketer note that Meta has faced increasing pressure to address safety concerns and that the company’s commitment to protecting teens online remains under scrutiny.

With appeals anticipated and settlement discussions potentially looming, the legal battles against social media companies are expected to continue for years, even as tech regulation in the United States lags behind that of Europe and Australia.