There is no META board, so I’ll drop this here. It affects not just META but all on-line social sites - even though I expect it will be overturned on appeal given the broad reach of Section 230 of the Communications Act (saying media sites can’t be held responsible for their users’ actions)
Landmark Verdict Says Meta Harmed Children, Allowing Adults to Prey on Them
With $375 million penalty, a New Mexico state court case holds social-media company responsible for content on its platforms
A New Mexico jury on Tuesday found that [Meta Platforms], which runs Facebook and Instagram, was liable for failing to protect young people from online dangers, including sexually explicit content, solicitation and human trafficking.
The jury found Meta liable for misleading consumers about the safety of its platforms and endangering children, under the state’s consumer protection laws. The jury ordered a maximum penalty for each violation, totaling $375 million in civil penalties. Meta made 160 times that amount of revenue in its most recent quarter.
The case was among the first to test questions about whether social-media companies for the content posted on their platforms. New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez said this is the first time a state has prevailed at trial against a major tech company for harming young people.
Section 320 is exceptionally broad, but this suit is meant to hinge on the actions of the corporation itself (even though it’s ultimately some users’ actions which cause the issues). It will be interesting to see how it plays out as it goes through the appeals process.
Note: there’s a similar suit now in trial in LA.
That case is one of thousands of similar individual lawsuits consolidated in a California court. Additionally, more than 2,000 lawsuits are pending in federal court by individuals and school districts.