A New Mexico jury found on 24 March 2026 that Meta knowingly harmed children’s mental health and concealed what it knew about child sexual exploitation on Facebook and Instagram. The company was ordered to pay $375 million in civil penalties — the maximum allowed under state law. It is the first time a state has won at trial against a major tech company on children’s safety.
On the same day, in a Los Angeles courtroom, a separate jury deliberating a landmark social media addiction case sent a signal that legal observers say points towards finding liability against at least one of the defendants, Meta and YouTube. Together, these two cases suggest that the legal reckoning families have been waiting for is now underway.
How the New Mexico case started — with a fake profile of a 13-year-old girl
New Mexico’s attorney general sued Meta in 2023, following an undercover investigation by the state’s Department of Justice. Investigators created a fake social media profile of a 13-year-old girl. According to the attorney general, the account was immediately flooded with predatory contact, sexual solicitations and harmful content. That investigation led to three arrests and became a central piece of evidence in the trial.
The six-week trial examined internal Meta documents and testimony from executives, whistleblowers and platform engineers. Jurors heard evidence that Meta employees had repeatedly raised concerns about child safety, and that internal discussions took place about how encrypting Facebook Messenger by default would affect the company’s ability to report child sexual abuse material to law enforcement.
The jury found Meta liable on all counts. It agreed that Meta had made false or misleading statements to users and engaged in trade practices that took unfair advantage of children’s vulnerabilities. Jurors identified thousands of individual violations and imposed the maximum penalty of $5,000 per violation, totalling $375 million. One juror told reporters the panel compromised on the estimated number of affected teenagers but felt each child was worth the maximum amount the law allowed.
Meta has said it will appeal. A second phase of the trial, scheduled to begin on 4 May 2026, will be heard by a judge. In that phase, New Mexico will argue that Meta should be ordered to make specific changes to its platforms, including effective age verification and stronger protections for children. This is the phase that could force actual changes to how Instagram and Facebook work for young users.
In Los Angeles, a second jury is signalling it has reached the same conclusion
The LA case, known as Kaley G.M. v Meta and YouTube, is a personal injury lawsuit brought by a 20-year-old woman who alleges she became addicted to Instagram and YouTube as a child and suffered depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts as a result. It was selected as a bellwether trial, meaning its outcome will set a benchmark for how thousands of similar lawsuits are likely to be resolved. TikTok and Snap were originally defendants but both settled before the trial began.
The jury has been deliberating since 13 March. On 21 March, the panel sent the judge a question about how to calculate damages. Legal observers noted that jurors would only reach the damages question after first deciding that one or both companies were liable. In other words, that question suggests the jury has already concluded that at least one defendant is responsible.
On 24 March, the jury told Judge Carolyn Kuhl they were struggling to reach consensus on one of the two defendants. The judge instructed them to keep deliberating, noting that a deadlock could mean a partial retrial. A verdict could come any day.
What is building behind these two cases
More than 40 state attorneys general have filed lawsuits against Meta over children’s safety. A separate federal bellwether trial involving school districts suing Meta, TikTok, Snap and YouTube is scheduled to begin jury selection in Oakland in June. Hundreds of individual and family lawsuits are consolidated in multidistrict litigation.
The New Mexico verdict is the first domino. If the LA jury also finds liability, the pressure on social media companies to settle or to change how their platforms treat young users will intensify significantly.
What this means for you right now
These trials will not change your child’s Instagram feed tomorrow. But they are accelerating a shift that parents should understand.
The internal documents entering the public record through these trials reveal what the companies knew about risks to young users and when they knew it. These are not allegations from campaigners — they are the companies’ own records, entered as evidence under oath.
If the LA verdict goes against Meta or YouTube, expect movement across the wider litigation. Companies facing thousands of pending lawsuits and the prospect of repeated courtroom losses have a strong incentive to settle, and settlements often include commitments to change platform practices.
For now, the practical step remains the same: review your child’s privacy and safety settings on Instagram and Facebook, check who can message them, and talk to them about what kind of contact they receive. Meta’s Family Centre lets parents set up supervision tools, though this trial made clear those tools have significant gaps.
If your child has struggled with social media and you believe the platform played a role, the expanding landscape of litigation means there may be legal avenues available. Speak to a solicitor or check whether your family’s situation fits any of the ongoing cases.
A jury in New Mexico has said what parents have been saying for years. A jury in Los Angeles may be about to say it again.
Sources: NPR — New Mexico jury says Meta harms children’s mental health and safety, 24 March 2026
CNBC — Meta must pay $375 million for violating New Mexico law, 24 March 2026
CNN — Jury finds Meta liable in case over child sexual exploitation, 24 March 2026
NBC Los Angeles — Jurors in landmark social media trial struggling to reach verdict, 23 March 2026
