Jury begins deliberations in landmark New Mexico trial over children’s safety risks on Meta
A recording of Meta Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg's deposition is played for the jurors on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, in Santa Fe, N.M. (Jim Weber/Santa Fe New Mexican via AP, Pool) 2026-03-23T11:08:55Z SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A jury began deliberations Monday in a landmark trial in New Mexico where social media conglomerate Meta is accused of misleading its users about how safe its platforms are for children.
Meta’s attorneys dispute the claims and say the company provides built-in protections for teenagers and weeds out harmful content but that some potentially harmful gets past its safety nets for some users.
Jurors heard closing arguments after six weeks of testimony from scores of witnesses that included local teachers, psychiatric experts, state investigators, top Meta officials and whistleblowers who left the company.
The case in New Mexico state court is among the first to reach trial in a wave of litigation involving social media platforms and their impacts on children.
New Mexico prosecutors have accused Meta — which owns Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp — of prioritizing profits over safety in violation of state consumer protection laws.
They have raised concerns about the safety of complex algorithms, and a variety of messaging features and settings. “It’s clear that young people are spending too much time on Meta’s products, they’ve lost control,” prosecution attorney Linda Singer told the jury in closing statements. “Meta knew that and it didn’t disclose it.” Prosecutor says trial evidence shows Meta failed to enforce its minimum user age Singer said testimony and evidence at trial showed Meta’s algorithms had been recommending sensational and harmful content to teenagers, while alleging that the company failed to truly enforce its minimum user age of 13. “The safety issues that you’ve heard about in this case, weren’t mistakes. ….
They were a product of a corporate philosophy that chose growth and engagement over children’s safety,” Singer said. “And young people in this state and around the country have borne the cost.” Meta attorney Kevin Huff on Monday highlighted witness testimony about Meta’s investments in the safety on its platforms, describing automated features and roles dedicated to safety. “Meta has built innovative, automated tools to protect people,” he said. “Meta has 40,000 people working to make its apps as safe as possible.” But he added that Meta’s systems aren’t perfect: “No one can, with billions of pieces of
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