Why Is Meta Platforms (META) Stock Down Today? Landmark Addiction Verdict and Child Safety Fines Trigger 8% Slump

Meta Platforms (META) shares plummeted on March 26, 2026, dropping 7.92% to close at $547.75.() The sell-off erased roughly $120 billion in market value in a single session. The catalyst was a pair of back-to-back legal defeats in California and New Mexico that investors fear could be a Big Tobacco moment for social media, a fundamental shift in liability that could lead to multibillion-dollar settlements and forced product redesigns.