Gov. Cox: Meta losses validate Utah's fight against social media

SALT LAKE CITY — Gov. Spencer Cox emphasized that recent rulings against major tech company Meta Platforms Inc. have strengthened his resolve for Utah to pursue legal action against what he has previously described as "a cancer" on society.

In just the past two days, Meta — owner of Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, Messenger and Threads — has faced defeat in two jury trials. The cases accused the tech giant of intentionally making its platforms addictive and knowingly harming children, and creating a virtual danger zone for children at the hands of predators.

The first trial occurred in New Mexico, where the state's attorney general accused Meta of violating New Mexico's consumer protection laws by allowing predators to manipulate and take advantage of minors online. The jury's verdict resulted in $375 million in civil damages.

"The jury's verdict is a historic victory for every child and family who has paid the price for Meta's choice to put profits over kids' safety," New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez said in a press release. "Meta executives knew their products harmed children, disregarded warnings from their own employees, and lied to the public about what they knew."

Torrez added that his office will continue to seek additional penalty compensation on May 4, when New Mexico's Department of Justice will present its final claim against Meta in a bench trial.

Meta's legal counsel intends to appeal the decision to a higher court.

The second court case against Meta and YouTube took place in California and featured Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg in attendance to testify. That trial centered on the experiences of a 20-year-old identified as KGM, who said she started using YouTube at age 6 and Instagram at age 9 and would spend all day on the platforms, the Deseret News previously reported. She said her usage made her depressed and even caused her to have suicidal thoughts.

Jurors found Meta liable for $4.2 million in damages and Google, which owns YouTube, for $1.8 million — a small amount for two companies whose yearly capital spending is over $100 billion each, per Reuters.

Both companies are expected to appeal.

What does this mean for Utah's case against Big Tech?

But to many, these cases are just the tip of the litigation iceberg that is coming for Big Tech.

"Recent court rulings against companies like Meta and YouTube confirm what families have been saying all along. These platforms understood the risks and chose not to act," Cox said in a social media post on Thursday. "Utah has led the nation with commonsense protections that put parents back in charge, establish age-appropriate safeguards, and demand transparency. These rulings affirm that approach. We will keep pushing forward, including through our own lawsuits. We will hold them accountable and protect our kids."

New Mexico may be the first state to reach a winning verdict against Meta, but it doesn't seem like it will be the last. More than 40 states have taken legal action against Meta, with Utah's suit dating back to 2023.

Utah is seeking damages in multiple lawsuits against Meta, Snap Inc. and TikTok, citing damages to the health and well-being of Utah children.

The Utah Attorney General's Office declined to comment for this story.

In what's become a bipartisan effort across the nation, state leaders, with the support of medical professionals and concerned parents, have accused social media companies of creating platforms that mirror the addictiveness of tobacco or gambling.

CBS News legal contributor Caroline Polisi said these lawsuits are only the beginning and will, she hopes, leave these tech companies with no choice but to change their product designs.

"We've all known for over a decade that these types of platforms are addictive and can be harmful to our children's mental health, and now we're seeing it play out," she said. "It just took a while for those legal theories to develop."

Melissa McKay, president of Digital Childhood Institute, told the Deseret News that the California and New Mexico verdicts "prove that Big Tech can no longer hide from accountability. Juries in two states have now rejected their excuses."

"Utah's lawsuits against Meta, TikTok, and Snap rest on the same consumer protection arguments that just won in New Mexico, and we will prevail. Big Tech is having its Big Tobacco moment, and it's long overdue."

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