A US court has ordered Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, to pay $375m (£300m) after a jury found that the company enabled harm including child sexual exploitation on its platforms.
The landmark victory marks the first time the social media giant has been successfully sued by a US state over child safety issues and could set a precedent for holding big tech to account.
The case, brought by the state of Texas, alleged that Meta’s platforms facilitated the exploitation of children by allowing predators to connect with minors and share harmful content. The jury agreed, finding the company liable for damages.
Meta said it would appeal the decision, arguing that it has robust safety measures in place. However, campaigners hailed the verdict as a breakthrough in efforts to regulate social media companies more strictly.
The ruling is expected to encourage other states and countries to pursue similar legal action against tech firms over child safety concerns.
