Imagine:
A 12-year-old girl opens an Instagram account. She just wants to chat with her friends and share fun photos.
But then she’s contacted by an adult man. He wants her to send him naked images. Confused and scared, she’s not sure what to do.
Soon, she’s contacted by yet another man. This one wants to meet up with her in person.
And then another man. And another. And another…
This was the experience on an Instagram account for a 12-year-old girl. Fortunately, the account was a fake one run by investigators, under the leadership of New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez. However, what the investigators found echoes the real-life experiences of countless children across the country.
That is why AG Torrez decided to bring a lawsuit against Meta, State of New Mexico ex. rel. v. Meta Platforms, Inc. et al.The lawsuit alleged that Meta neglected to implement safeguards that would have mitigated child sexual exploitation, while also misleading users about the safety of its platforms.
And now, this lawsuit has culminated in a truly historic victory: the jury has found Meta liable on all counts and ordered the company to pay $375 million in damages.
🚨 Historic: A jury just held a social media company accountable for harming kids, for the FIRST time.
— Haley McNamara (@HaleyMcNamara) March 24, 2026
New Mexico won. Families won.
I served as an expert witness in this case and spoke to Meta’s failure to address child sexual exploitation despite repeated warnings from NCOSE.… https://t.co/aMnLyRTSK9 pic.twitter.com/gPHWHeRnKw
This is A First of Its Kind Victory
For decades, social media companies like Meta have been able to hide behind the shield of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act—a law that courts have misinterpreted as providing tech platforms with near blanket immunity from liability for any harms caused by their products. As a result, the vast majority of lawsuits brought against tech companies are thrown out before they even get started.
For a case to make it to trial is almost unheard of … let alone for a verdict to find the tech company liable. The implications of this breakthrough cannot be overstated.
This is the first major civil lawsuit brought against a social media company for harming kids that has resulted in a jury trial and a victorious verdict.
NCOSE was proud to assist in this case when our very own Haley McNamara provided deposition testimony in May 2025, speaking to Meta’s continual failure to solve problems that we raised to their attention. We are thrilled by the final outcome and so proud to have been part of this historic moment.
Parents are trying, and but are being set up to fail. NCOSE’s @HaleyMcNamara was deposed as an expert witness in one of the first civil lawsuits against a social media platform to go to trial for harms to children (New Mexico v. Meta Platforms, Inc). With constantly changing… pic.twitter.com/Xg2xQ8Yg1N
— National Center on Sexual Exploitation (@NCOSE) March 24, 2026
What Are the Facts of the Case?
AG Torrez stated that Meta has created a “breeding ground” for sexual predators.
Evidence in the case includes documents provided by Meta, which showed that over 100,000 children were exploited daily across its platforms.When AG Torrez launched an investigation into Meta, his team utilized a fake profile of a 12-year-old girl to test the harms children experience. During the course of the investigation, three adult men attempted to meet the “12-year-old girl” in person and were subsequently arrested, while several other men contacted the profile to solicit child sexual abuse material (CSAM, the more apt word for “child pornography”).
Meta was repeatedly informed about the rampant sexual exploitation on its platforms but neglected to address it. NCOSE informed them countless times over the years and met with their staff. Haley’s deposition testimony explained how, despite these communications, Meta continued to allow dangerous design features that directly contributed to children’s sexual exploitation.
Meta even dismissed these problems when their own executives raised them. A senior Meta executive called for stronger safety measures after his own 12-year-old daughter received unsolicited nude images, but his plea for action was reportedly ignored by other senior officials.
Further, Meta misled parents and users about the safety of its products. For example, Haley’s deposition testimony explains how Meta’s guide neglected to disclose any information about the rampant sexual exploitation on the platform. Rather, it led parents to believe that the main risk was bullying.
Is This the Start of a New Era?
We are emboldened by this incredible victory and believe that it hails the beginning of a new era: one where tech companies can no longer hide behind their shield of immunity to exploit children without consequences.
New Mexico v Meta Inc is part of a larger wave of legal action that is reaching unprecedented milestones. For example, a collection of lawsuits representing thousands of plaintiffs are currently being heard in a Los Angeles Superior Court. These cases allege that Meta (Facebook & Instagram), Snapchat, TikTok, and Alphabet (YouTube & Google) knowingly designed their products to addict minor users, knowing full well the scale of harm this caused to their mental health. A jury is currently deliberating a verdict for the first of the bellwether cases.
We are eager to walk into this new era with you and invite you to stand with us as we continue pressing forward with renewed vigor!
Add Your Voice to the Cause
Over the years, Meta or its platforms have been repeatedly named to the NCOSE Dirty Dozen List for facilitating sexual exploitation. The 2026 Dirty Dozen List comes out next Tuesday, with a reveal event being held at 1:00 pm EST.
Sign up below if you want to watch the Dirty Dozen List be revealed and help take ACTION against Big Tech companies harming kids.
