Sex Offenders Freely Roam on Instagram and Facebook

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - Meta has been fined nearly US$400 million, or approximately Rp6.7 trillion, after being found guilty by a jury in New Mexico, United States. The tech giant was deemed to have failed to protect children from sexual predators on its Facebook and Instagram platforms.

This verdict comes after New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez accused Meta of violating consumer protection laws and misleading the public regarding the safety of its platforms.

The case originated from an undercover operation conducted by prosecutors, who created fake accounts posing as a 13-year-old girl. As a result, these accounts were flooded with images and solicitations targeted by child abusers.

The jury concluded that Meta had intentionally violated rules on unfair business practices and awarded damages of US$375 million based on the number of violations.

“A historic victory for every child and family,” said Torrez, quoted from CNBC International, Wednesday (25/3/2026). “Meta chose profits over child safety,” he added.

He even accused company executives of being aware of the harmful impacts of their products but ignoring internal warnings and concealing them from the public.

Meanwhile, the company owned by Mark Zuckerberg stated it would appeal the decision.

“We respectfully disagree with this verdict and will appeal,” said a Meta spokesperson. “We work hard to keep our users safe and will continue to vigorously defend ourselves.”

Not only does it have to pay this fine, but pressure on Meta could intensify further. In the next phase of the trial in May, the judge will determine whether the company must also fund public programmes to address the impacts on children.

Prosecutors are also pushing for major changes, from stricter age verification to removing predators from the platforms.

Not just Meta, other companies like YouTube, TikTok, and Snap are facing similar lawsuits regarding the mental health impacts on children and adolescents.