Meta loses trial over child exploitation claims

Meta has lost a significant child safety trial in New Mexico, where a jury found the company liable for failing to protect children from exploitation on its platforms and misleading parents about safety measures. The social media giant was ordered to pay $375 million in civil damages. The trial highlighted evidence that Meta repeatedly ignored internal warnings and relied heavily on AI moderation, which prosecutors argued generated "junk" reports, hindering investigations. Meta plans to appeal the verdict, which follows a lawsuit initiated after an investigation exposed child sex trafficking markets on Facebook and Instagram. The company faces two additional child safety trials.