FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 25, 2026
Meta Is Held Accountable for Harm Against its Most Vulnerable Users in Two Verdicts This Week
“The public now knows what I know, what Meta knows and what they tried to hide,” says Meta researcher turned WhistleblowerAid.org client, who testified in trial
WASHINGTON, D.C., March 25, 2026 – In two groundbreaking decisions over the past 48 hours, Meta has been held responsible for the harm it has enabled against young users in New Mexico and California. The decisions were hailed by WhistleblowerAid.org as “a major victory for the public.”
In a landmark verdict, a jury in California today found Meta liable for $4.2 million in a case centered around the social media addiction dangers of apps such as Instagram to young users, including $2.1 in punitive damages against Meta due to a finding that the company acted with malice, oppression or fraud. Yesterday, a jury in a separate New Mexico trial found Meta liable for $375 million for enabling harm to young users on its platforms and misleading users about the safety of its products. Together, these bellwether trials are important milestones on the path to accountability.
“This is a major victory for the public, for social media users, and for child safety,” WhistleblowerAid.org CEO Libby Liu said. “Each successful lawsuit paints a crystal clear picture showing that Meta is not above the law and can and should be held accountable. We are inspired by the courageous truthtellers who put everything on the line to keep vulnerable users safe here and around the world. Meta should understand these verdicts as a powerful message that their days of exploiting children for financial gain are numbered.”
Since 2021, WhistleblowerAid.org has been helping clients from within Meta to speak out about the ways in which the company harms people and misrepresents the safety of its products. WhistleblowerAid.org client and former Meta researcher Dr. Jason Sattizahn testified before Congress in September 2025 about how the company covered up research on the overwhelming presence of underage users on its platforms and the severe physical and emotional damage experienced by users of Meta VR and other platforms. Consistent with his prior testimony, Dr. Sattizahn participated as a witness in the New Mexico trial. His testimony, and that of other whistleblowers, helped make the New Mexico verdict possible.
“These verdicts are from people like you and me, from everyday Americans,” Dr. Sattizahn said. “They are and should be a powerful sign that when we see harm in the world, we can make a change. We should feel hopeful, courageous and empowered to do something, because clearly when we do, good things can happen.
“Personally, this experience has been so incredibly humbling and heartening. As a researcher at Meta for over six years, my entire job was trying to improve user safety. And I was blocked every step of the way. Being called as a witness in the trial and speaking the truth about what I knew about Meta’s priorities, Meta’s lies, and their extreme efforts to hide the truth matters. It means the public now knows what I know, what Meta knows and what they tried to hide, and what so many families are finally understanding – that the damage Meta’s products inflict on its youngest and most vulnerable users stem from Meta’s greed.
“While I’d like to say something profound about the future and where we’re heading, the simple truth is that with these verdicts, it’s clear it’s heading in the right direction. We need change. We need regulation. We need Meta to take responsibility for their actions. And I’m glad the arrow is pointed that way.”
WhistleblowerAid.org is a pioneering non-profit legal organization founded in 2017 that helps public and private sector workers report and expose wrongdoing safely, lawfully, and responsibly.
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