Jury Orders Meta To Pay $375M Over Teenage Addiction, Mental Health Risks

Evidence presented at trial showed that Meta knew its features posed risks to children and could even be used by predators to groom them.

A New Mexico jury has ordered the owner of Facebook and Instagram to pay $375 million in damages to the state, after finding the company liable for mental health problems linked to social media addiction among teens.

Over the last several years, thousands of social media addiction lawsuits have been filed by parents who allege that excessive and compulsive use of platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat can cause serious mental health problems for youths, including anxiety, depression, eating disorders and behavioral issues, with some cases linking prolonged use to self-harm and suicide.

Various different local governments and school districts have also joined the litigation, claiming that widespread student use during and outside of school hours has led to increased classroom disruptions, reduced attention spans and a growing need for mental health services, forcing schools to devote additional resources to counseling and intervention programs.

Many of the lawsuits allege that companies intentionally designed algorithm-driven features and data collection practices to maximize user engagement and encourage prolonged use among minors.

New Mexico’s lawsuit against Meta is the first social media addiction case to reach a verdict, marking a significant development as courts begin to address growing concerns about the impact of these platforms on youth mental health.

The verdict was announced in a March 24 press release by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez, who brought the case against Meta and accused the company of harming minors and misleading consumers.

The New Mexico lawsuit alleged that Meta was responsible for thousands of separate violations of U.S. and state laws. While Torrez sought a $2 billion verdict, he said the $375 million judgment is substantial enough to send the message the state intended.

“The jury’s verdict is a historic victory for every child and family who has paid the price for Meta’s choice to put profits over kids’ safety. Meta executives knew their products harmed children, disregarded warnings from their own employees, and lied to the public about what they knew. Today the jury joined families, educators, and child safety experts in saying enough is enough.”

– New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez

Although the trial lasted six weeks in the First Judicial District Court of New Mexico, the jury only deliberated for less than a day before finding Meta liable for thousands of legal violations, and awarding the maximum penalty of $5,000 per incident.

Evidence presented at trial included a wide range of testimony from former Meta employees and internal company documents indicating the company was not only aware its features could cause risks to children, but could also be used by sexual predators to groom children. 

Social Media Addiction Lawsuits

The New Mexico verdict comes as another high-profile social media addiction lawsuit continues in California state court, where jurors are entering their second week of deliberations without reaching a decision. The case involves claims against Meta and Google and has included testimony from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and other executives. TikTok and Snapchat were originally named as defendants but reached settlements with the plaintiff before trial.

Beyond individual state court cases, most social media addiction lawsuits have been filed in the federal court system, where they are consolidated as part of an MDL (multidistrict litigation) before U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in the Northern District of California. The coordinated proceedings include hundreds of claims brought by individuals, families and school districts.

As part of the litigation, Judge Rogers has ordered a series of early test trials to evaluate how juries respond to evidence and legal arguments expected to be repeated across the cases. The first federal bellwether trial, involving claims by the Breathitt County Board of Education, is scheduled to begin on June 15.

While the outcomes of these early trials will not be binding on other cases, they are expected to play a key role in shaping potential settlement negotiations and determining how much the social media companies may ultimately pay to resolve the litigation.

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