Meta has raised the prospect of shutting down its social media services in New Mexico, including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. This potential withdrawal comes in response to a push by state prosecutors for fundamental changes to the company's platforms to protect the mental health and safety of children.
The possibility emerged during the remedies phase of a lawsuit in which a jury previously determined that Meta knowingly harmed children’s mental health and concealed information regarding child sexual exploitation on its platforms, resulting in $375 million in civil penalties. New Mexico's case is the first to reach trial among more than 40 state attorneys general who have sued the company over its contribution to a mental health crisis among young people.
Prosecutors are seeking court-ordered changes to child accounts to rein in addictive features, improve age verification, and prevent sexual exploitation through closer oversight and default privacy settings. Meta argued in a court filing that meeting a proposed requirement for 99% accuracy in verifying that child users are at least 13 years old is unfeasible. The company stated that such impossible obligations would effectively require it to shut down services for all users in the state.
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez has disputed Meta's claims that the proposed reforms are impractical, stating he will not turn a blind eye to exploited children because of advertising contracts. While some analysts suggest Meta may find the cost of maintaining a separate, customized service for New Mexico's 2.1 million residents exceeds the territory's value, Torrez expressed doubt that the company would be willing to turn off its products nationwide.
Meta and New Mexico are scheduled to square off in court on May 4 to determine the injunctive relief and reforms the company must implement.