New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez is responding to a reported threat by Meta to shut down its products in New Mexico. “Meta is showing the world how little it cares about child safety” said Attorney General Raúl Torrez in a news release. “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.” Meta spokesperson issued the following statement, “Despite Attorney General Torrez’s claims, the State’s demands are technically impractical, impossible for any company to meet and disregard the realities of the internet. In targeting a single platform, the State ignores the hundreds of other apps teens use, leaving parents without the comprehensive support they actually deserve. While it is not in Meta’s interests to do so, if a workable solution to Attorney General Torrez’s demands is not reached, we may have no choice but to remove access to its platforms for users in New Mexico entirely.”A jury found Meta was liable for misleading users about the safety of the platform for children. A $375 million dollar penalty was issued to Meta during the trial. Meta has stated it plans to appeal that ruling. The New Mexico Department of Justice and Meta will meet again in a bench trial scheduled for May 4 to determine whether Meta’s platforms are a public nuisance. The state attorney general is seeking court-ordered reforms to protect children as part of the bench trial.
New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez is responding to a reported threat by Meta to shut down its products in New Mexico.
“Meta is showing the world how little it cares about child safety” said Attorney General Raúl Torrez in a news release. “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.”
Meta spokesperson issued the following statement, “Despite Attorney General Torrez’s claims, the State’s demands are technically impractical, impossible for any company to meet and disregard the realities of the internet. In targeting a single platform, the State ignores the hundreds of other apps teens use, leaving parents without the comprehensive support they actually deserve. While it is not in Meta’s interests to do so, if a workable solution to Attorney General Torrez’s demands is not reached, we may have no choice but to remove access to its platforms for users in New Mexico entirely.”
A jury found Meta was liable for misleading users about the safety of the platform for children. A $375 million dollar penalty was issued to Meta during the trial.
Meta has stated it plans to appeal that ruling.
The New Mexico Department of Justice and Meta will meet again in a bench trial scheduled for May 4 to determine whether Meta’s platforms are a public nuisance. The state attorney general is seeking court-ordered reforms to protect children as part of the bench trial.
