A trial starting Monday in Santa Fe will test New Mexico's claims that Meta's Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp platforms harm young users' mental health.
State Attorney General Raúl Torrez, a Democrat, accuses Meta of designing its platforms to addict young users and failing to protect them from sexual exploitation. The trial follows a March jury verdict that found Meta violated state consumer law, ordering $375 million in damages for misrepresenting platform safety.
Now, the judge will decide if Meta's platforms create a "public nuisance" under state law, which could allow court-ordered remedies. Torrez seeks billions more in damages and demands changes like age verification, algorithm redesign for quality content, and ending autoplay and infinite scroll for minors.
Meta counters it has extensive safety measures. The company warns that legal and regulatory pressures in the EU and U.S. could significantly impact its business. A Meta spokesperson called the attorney general's focus on a single platform misguided, noting hundreds of other apps teens use daily.