New Mexico is seeking nearly $1 billion from Meta, the parent company of Facebook, after a jury found the tech giant liable for endangering children and misleading the public about the safety of its platforms.

Background

Last month, a New Mexico jury ordered Meta to pay the maximum civil penalty allowed by law — $5,000 per violation — for breaching the state’s Unfair Practices Act, totaling $375 million. The recent filing asked the court to force Meta to pay $953 million into a fund that would support public education and behavioral health work.

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez argued that Meta’s executives chose to put profits over kids’ safety, disregarded warnings from their own employees, and lied to the public about what they knew. Torrez alleged that Meta’s design choices enabled pedophiles and predators to sexually exploit children on its platforms.

A Meta spokesperson responded that the New Mexico Attorney General’s strategy would risk leaving teens less safe, infringe on parental rights, and stifle free expression. The spokesperson added that Meta remains committed to providing safe, age-appropriate experiences and has already launched many protections, including 13 safety measures this past year.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.