New Mexico jury fines Meta $375M for platform harms

Detected March 28th, 2026

Summary

The New Mexico Attorney General's office is highlighting a recent jury verdict in New Mexico that found Meta liable for platform harms and imposed a $375 million fine. This action underscores the growing legal scrutiny and financial penalties faced by social media companies for their impact on users.

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What changed

A New Mexico jury has imposed a $375 million fine on Meta, finding the company liable for harms caused by its platforms. While this specific verdict occurred in New Mexico, the Nevada Attorney General's office is drawing attention to it as part of broader efforts to address issues related to social media platforms. The case highlights significant financial risks for technology companies concerning the impact of their services.

Compliance officers should note the increasing trend of state-level enforcement actions and jury verdicts against major technology firms. This development signals a heightened risk environment for companies like Meta, potentially leading to more litigation and regulatory scrutiny regarding platform design, content moderation, and user safety. While the Nevada AG's office is applauding verdicts in other jurisdictions, it suggests a potential for similar actions or increased focus within Nevada on these issues.

What to do next

Review internal policies and risk assessments related to platform harms and user safety.
Monitor ongoing litigation and regulatory developments concerning social media platforms.

Penalties

$375 million fine

Source document (simplified)

Attorney General Ford Applauds Recent Jury Verdicts Against Meta, YouTube in Other Jurisdictions

Mar.27, 2026

Carson City, NV — Today, Attorney General Aaron D. Ford released the following remarks after juries in courts in California and New Mexico ruled that social media companies were aware of the harms their products had caused to the nation’s youth. On March 24, a New Mexico jury ruled social media giant Meta must pay a $375 million monetary penalty for misleading the public about harms Meta knew to be lurking on its platforms. Today, a jury in a separate California trial awarded $6 million in compensatory and punitive damages to an individual who sued Meta, YouTube, Snapchat and TikTok alleging that their harmful design had inflicted mental health harms on her when she was a teen.

“The recent decisions in California and New Mexico are the first steps to getting justice for children victimized by social media companies that deliberately designed addictive products and ignored the dangers those products posed to children,” said Attorney General Ford. “The juries in these cases reached the only logical conclusion when presented with the facts, and we are confident that, when our litigation is brought before Nevada juries, they will come to the same conclusion. We will do whatever is needed to protect Nevada’s youth."

Like the cases recently decided in favor of the plaintiffs, Attorney General Ford’s lawsuits currently pending against Meta, TikTok, Snapchat, YouTube, and Kik accuse the companies of using harmful design features; failing to implement common-sense safety measures for children; and misleading the public regarding child users’ safety. However, several of Nevada’s lawsuits also include products liability claims and economic damages that are unique to the Nevada Attorney General’s jurisdiction to pursue consumer protection claims on behalf of Nevadans.

The status of the OAG’s lawsuits against social media companies on behalf of Nevadans are as follows (note that trial dates are subject to change):

Meta: Meta’s motions to dismiss the first amended complaint were denied in April 2025. Meta has challenged these rulings and the cases are stayed until these challenges are resolved.
TikTok: Trial has been set for Nov. 1, 2027.
Snapchat: A seven-month appellate stay has been lifted, and trial is currently set for Jan. 4, 2027.
YouTube: YouTube’s motion to dismiss was denied at a hearing on March 18. No trial date has been set.
Kik: A motion to dismiss was granted in part and denied in part on Feb. 11, 2026. The OAG and Kik agreed to a 90-day stay of case in order to undertake settlement negotiations. No trial date has been set.