New Mexico’s Department of Justice is pushing to make Meta pay far more than the penalty already ordered after a jury found the company responsible for putting children at risk and misleading the public about the safety of its platforms.
In a filing submitted after last month’s verdict, the state asked the court to require Facebook’s parent company to contribute $953 million to a fund dedicated to public education and behavioral health initiatives, according to SourceNM.
That request comes on top of the jury’s earlier decision, which imposed the maximum civil penalty allowed under New Mexico law. Meta was ordered to pay $5,000 for each violation of the state’s Unfair Practices Act, bringing the total to $375 million.
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez has argued that Meta’s leadership chose “profits over kids’ safety,” ignored warnings from within the company, and misrepresented what it knew to the public.
Torrez has also accused Meta of making design decisions that allowed predators and pedophiles to sexually exploit children on its platforms.
The case adds to the growing legal and political pressure facing Meta and other major social media companies over child safety concerns. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee in Washington on January 31, 2024, as lawmakers questioned top tech executives about the dangers of child sexual exploitation on social media.
FILE – New Mexico prosecutors accused Meta of operating unsafe platforms for children and not being honest with the public. (Anna Barclay/Getty Images)
He added the company intentionally designed its apps to addict young users, exposing them to dangerous content promoting self-harm and eating disorders.
The state’s requested abatement amount was dropped more than 90% from its initial demands.
A Meta spokesperson told News Agency that throughout the trial, the New Mexico Attorney General “continued his misguided strategy of proposing mandates that would risk leaving teens less safe, infringe on parental rights and stifle free expression.”
FILE – Meta, which owns Instagram, was found negligent for operating a platform that addicted a young user and created mental health distress in an unprecedented ruling by a Los Angeles jury in March. (Joan Cros/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
“Even the judge noted those mandates could be an “overreach,” the spokesperson said. “The State’s case ignores the hundreds of apps teens use daily and fails to provide scientific or legal justification for their demands of Meta. We remain committed to providing safe, age-appropriate experiences and have already launched many of the protections the state seeks, including 13 safety measures this past year.”
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