New Mexico has asked a judge to impose penalties of $35 to 40 billion on Meta for misleading consumers about child safety on its platforms.

The request, made to Judge Francis Mathew on October 1, follows a jury verdict on September 25 that found Meta misled the public. The jury held that 26 of 29 company statements about safety were misleading, amounting to more than 43 million violations of the state’s Unfair Practices Act.

Meta called the figure “astronomical” and argued penalties should be capped at $3.45 billion. The judge is expected to decide the final amount later in October.

The case is one of the largest state-led actions against a social media company over child safety. Whatever the final number, it will set a benchmark for how courts value corporate misstatements about online safety, and could encourage similar suits in other states Legal experts say the final figure could still run into the billions.