The fate of the meta platform hangs in the balance as a trial starting in New Mexico on Monday will decide some changes for Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
A decision will be taken on whether the meta platform is a public nuisance or not. The case will be heard before a judge in Sante Fe based on “public nuisance law”, which is traditionally used for issues such as pollution or blocking roads. But this time it will be used for social media.
The lawsuit stems from an earlier lawsuit filed by New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez, a Democrat, who accused Meta of designing addictive products related to social media platforms and failing to protect youth from online sexual exploitation.
According to court filings, Torrez’s office is seeking not only billions of dollars in damages, but also court-ordered changes that would force Metra to make significant changes to minors.
Changes include eliminating features such as mandatory age verification, “autoplay” for minors, and “infinite scrolling”.
Meta should also redesign the algorithm to prioritize “quality content” over addictive engagement.
“This will be an opportunity for us to explore more deeply the size and scale and effectively the monetary value of the public nuisance damage that was a product of this business’s behavior over the last, you know, 10 or 15 years,” Torrez told reporters before the trial.
But Meta warned that any obligation to make changes to the platform could force it to withdraw its services from New Mexico if the orders are too restrictive.
The company also claims that many of the state’s demands are “technically impractical and completely impossible”.
“The New Mexico Attorney General’s focus on a single platform is a wrong strategy that ignores the hundreds of other apps that teens use every day,” a Meta spokesperson said in a statement ahead of the trial.
“Instead of providing comprehensive protections, the state’s proposed order violates parents’ rights and stifles free speech for all New Mexicans.”
Meta also argued that it “has not interfered with the public right” and that there is no scientific evidence that social media is responsible for causing mental health problems.
According to Meta, in addition to the previous $375 million fine, the state is reportedly seeking nearly $3.7 billion in damages to fund a 15-year mental health plan.
