The trial is the second stage of the process: In March, a jury found that Meta violated consumer protection laws by making misleading representations about the safety of Facebook and Instagram for minors, and was ordered to pay $375 million in damages.
The court is now examining whether Meta's activity constitutes a "public nuisance" under local law – a determination that could allow for broad regulatory measures, including changing how the platforms operate.
The lawsuit seeks to compel the company to make substantial changes, including verifying the age of users, changing the algorithm so that it displays higher-quality content to minors, and eliminating automatic activation and infinite scrolling.
Meta, on the other hand, claims that it has already made significant changes to protect minors, and that the demands presented to it are “technologically impossible to implement.” According to the company, such steps could even lead to its withdrawal from New Mexico.
In addition, the state is considering demanding compensation of up to $3.7 billion to fund a mental health program for youth over 15 years, a claim that Meta strongly rejects.
At the same time, more than 40 states in the US and more than 1,300 school districts are taking similar actions against social media companies, alleging intentional harm to young people.
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