Meta on trial in New Mexico in case over alleged harm to children

Key Points:

• A trial begins Monday in New Mexico to examine claims that Meta's Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp platforms harmed young users' mental health and to consider court-ordered changes to these platforms.
• The lawsuit, filed by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez, alleges Meta designed its platforms to addict youth and failed to protect them from sexual exploitation, following a March jury verdict finding Meta violated consumer protection laws and awarding $375 million in damages.
• The trial's second phase will determine if Meta's platforms constitute a "public nuisance" under state law, potentially leading to significant remedies such as age verification, algorithm redesign, and ending autoplay and infinite scroll for minors.
• Meta denies scientific evidence linking social media to mental health issues and argues that many proposed changes are unfeasible and could force it to exit New Mexico, while the company faces thousands of similar lawsuits nationally over youth addiction and safety concerns.
• Attorney General Torrez hopes the case will establish new national and global standards for social media companies' responsibilities toward young users, despite Meta's contention that focusing on a single platform ignores the broader ecosystem of apps used by teens.