A month after New Mexico won a $375 million judgment against Meta, the ruling is beginning to ripple beyond the state’s borders, KOAT reports. The parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp was penalized for failing to protect young users from harmful content.
In Albuquerque, the Branch Law Firm is investigating social media addiction lawsuits. The firm has launched advertisements seeking families who say they suffered harms including anxiety, self-harm, eating disorders, depression and suicide. Legal observers say the campaign appears to be building momentum for possible class-action litigation.
KOAT legal analyst John Day said the advertising reflects how large jury awards can change the outlook for lawyers. Big verdicts like the ones in California and New Mexico signal to lawyers around the country “that this may be what they call low-hanging fruit,” he said, KOAT reported. Day said he expects more such verdicts as social media platforms become targets for this kind of litigation.
During the trial, Attorney General Raul Torrez said social media companies had been lying to the public and to policymakers for years. A judge was set to decide what corrective actions Meta must take in response to the ruling.
About This Story
Daily Reports is Brant.One’s news roundup. Each day we gather the New Mexico stories worth knowing from newsrooms across the state, sum them up and point you to the source. This one comes from KOAT’s reporting, and their original story has the interviews and full details.
Editor’s note: Updated Oct. 31, 2026. This story is now part of Daily Reports, our New Mexico news roundup, and was revised to credit KOAT’s original reporting. Learn how Daily Reports works in our editorial standards.
