The New Mexico Department of Justice is pursuing almost $1 billion from Meta, the parent company of Facebook, after a jury in the state recently found the tech giant guilty of compromising children’s safety and deceiving the public regarding the security of its platforms.
In light of last month’s verdict, Meta has been instructed to pay the highest civil penalty permissible by law, which amounts to $5,000 for each violation. This penalty, for infringing upon New Mexico’s Unfair Practices Act, has resulted in a total of $375 million.
Recently, a court filing was submitted, requesting that Meta be compelled to contribute $953 million to a fund aimed at bolstering public education and behavioral health initiatives. This development was highlighted in a report by SourceNM.
In a related context, Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, was seen testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee at the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, DC, on January 31, 2024. This committee session focused on the risks of child sexual exploitation on social media platforms. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez has previously criticized Meta’s executives for allegedly prioritizing profits over the safety of children. He accused them of ignoring internal warnings and misleading the public about what they were aware of regarding the risks associated with their platforms.
Torrez alleged Meta’s specific design choices enabled pedophiles and predators to sexually exploit children on its platforms.
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 Media 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.”Â
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.”
<!–>
–>