New Mexico Seeks $1 Billion from Meta Over Child Safety Concerns

The New Mexico Department of Justice is targeting nearly $1 billion in damages from Meta, Facebook’s parent company. This follows a jury decision last month finding the tech company responsible for endangering children and misleading the public about platform safety.

Meta was ordered to pay the highest civil penalty allowable — $5,000 per violation — under the state’s Unfair Practices Act, leading to a $375 million penalty. A court filing requested that Meta deposit $953 million into a fund focused on public education and behavioral health programs, as reported by SourceNM.

In January 2024, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta’s CEO, appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee to discuss the threats of child exploitation on social media platforms. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez has charged that executives prioritized profit over children’s safety, ignored employee warnings, and misled the public. He accused Meta of creating designs that allowed child exploitation by predators.

New Mexico prosecutors claimed Meta operated unsafe platforms for children. (Anna Barclay/Getty Images)

Torrez further argued that Meta crafted its apps to be addictive for young users, exposing them to harmful content promoting self-harm and eating issues. The state lowered its original abatement request by over 90%.

A spokesman for Meta informed Fox News Digital that New Mexico’s Attorney General pursued a flawed strategy, suggesting mandates that could jeopardize teen safety, infringe on parental rights, and restrict free speech.

Meta, owner of Instagram, faced negligence charges from a Los Angeles jury in March for allegedly addicting a young user and causing mental distress. (Joan Cros/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The spokesperson noted that the judge considered these mandates as potentially excessive. According to Meta, the state’s case overlooked the multitude of apps teens use regularly, lacking scientific or legal grounds for their claims against Meta. He emphasized Meta’s commitment to safe, age-appropriate user experiences and highlighted the introduction of 13 new safety measures last year.

Alexandra Koch is a journalist with Fox News Digital, focusing on high-impact events influencing national discourse. Her coverage includes significant crises such as the L.A. wildfires, major aviation accidents, terror attacks, and severe floods.