Lanier Law Firm’s lead attorney, Mark Lanier, joins Varney & Co. to discuss the verdict in the addiction case against Meta and Google on social media, comparing it to tobacco lawsuits.
Tech giant Meta is threatening to cut off access to its social media platforms in New Mexico in response to the state’s legal efforts to enforce changes to child safety protocols on the platform.
Meta and the state of New Mexico are expected to move on to the second phase of their trial next week after a jury recently awarded a $375 million award to the state after finding that the company misled consumers about the safety of its platforms and the protection of children from sexual predators.
The next phase of the process will consider what actions the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp should take to address these issues.
One of the solutions New Mexico is seeking is to impose a requirement that Meta meet a 99% accuracy threshold in verifying that children on its platform are at least 13 years old. Meta has pushed back on that requirement, arguing in a lawsuit that it is unfeasible and would require it to “meet impossible obligations.”
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Meta warns that it may be forced to pull its apps from New Mexico if the state prevails in requiring the social media giant to implement certain safeguards. (Arda Kucukkaya/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Meta’s legal team said in a filing that New Mexico’s “requests for relief are so broad and so onerous that, if implemented, it could force Meta to withdraw its apps entirely from the state of New Mexico as an alternative means of complying with the order.”
“It does not make economic or technical sense for Meta to build separate apps only for New Mexico residents,” Meta’s attorneys added. “Meta also could not guarantee the perfection the state demands, making it impractical for Meta to operate in New Mexico.”
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| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| META | META PLATFORMS INC. | 611.91 | -57.21 |
-8.55% |
The company has argued that it is being unfairly singled out compared to other social media platforms popular with young people. The company has previously announced that it will appeal Civil judgment of $375 million against it.
New Mexico pushed back on Meta’s claim that it would be impractical to comply with the safeguards it seeks for social media apps.
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Meta is the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, among others. (Reuters/Dado Ruvic/Illustration)
“Meta is showing the world how little she cares about the safety of children,” said New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez. “Meta’s refusal to follow the laws that protect our children tells you everything you need to know about this company and the character of its leaders.”
“We know Meta has the ability to make these changes. For years, the company has rewritten its own rules, redesigned its products and even bowed to the demands of dictators to maintain market access. This is not about technological capabilities. child safety before engagement, ad revenue and profit,” Torrez added.
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New Mexico is also committed to making Meta deploy more securely recommendation algorithms that do not prioritize engagement over the welfare of children, restrictions on end-to-end encryption for minors, prominent warning labels about the risks of the platform, permanent bans on adults who engage in or facilitate the exploitation of children, and an independent monitoring regime through a court-appointed child safety monitor.
