The Ongoing Legal Clash Between Meta and New Mexico
Tech giant Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, is threatening to cut off access to its social media platforms in New Mexico. This move comes as a direct response to the state's legal push to enforce major changes to child safety protocols on these platforms. The two sides are heading into the second stage of their trial next week, after a jury recently awarded New Mexico $375 million. The jury found that Meta misled consumers about the safety of its platforms and the protections offered to children against sexual predators.
This next phase of the trial will focus on the specific actions Meta must take to remedy these issues. New Mexico is demanding stringent measures, including a requirement that Meta achieve 99% accuracy in verifying that children on its platforms are at least 13 years old. Meta has strongly opposed this, arguing in a court filing that such a threshold is unfeasible and would impose impossible obligations on the company.
Meta's Stark Warning and Potential Withdrawal
Meta's legal team has stated in filings that the remedies sought by New Mexico are so broad and burdensome that they could force the company to withdraw its apps entirely from the state as an alternative to compliance. Building separate apps just for New Mexico residents does not make economic or engineering sense, Meta's lawyers contend. They also assert that no company could guarantee the level of perfection the state demands, rendering operations in New Mexico impractical.
Meta has vowed to appeal what it calls 'landmark' social media verdicts, warning of free speech erosion. The company argues it is being unfairly singled out compared to other social media platforms popular with young people, and it has signaled plans to challenge the $375 million civil judgment.
Meta is showing the world how little it cares about child safety. Meta’s refusal to follow the laws that protect our kids tells you everything you need to know about this company and the character of its leaders. We know Meta has the ability to make these changes. For years the company has rewritten its own rules, redesigned its products, and even bent to the demands of dictators to preserve market access. This is not about technological capability. Meta simply refuses to place the safety of children ahead of engagement, advertising revenue, and profit.
New Mexico's Pushback and Additional Demands
New Mexico has pushed back against Meta's claims that compliance is impractical. The state is seeking a range of other safeguards, including safer recommendation algorithms that do not prioritize engagement over child well-being, restrictions on end-to-end encryption for minors, prominent warning labels about the platform's risks, permanent bans for adults engaging in or facilitating child exploitation, and an independent oversight regime through a court-appointed child safety monitor.
This case highlights the growing tensions between social media companies and regulators over platform accountability, especially concerning vulnerable users like children. As the trial progresses, the outcome could set precedents for how tech giants handle safety mandates across the U.S.
