The New Mexico Department of Justice is pursuing nearly $1 billion from Meta, Facebook’s parent company, following a verdict against the tech giant. A jury recently found Meta liable for endangering children and misleading the public regarding the safety of its platforms.
As a result of last month’s decision, Meta faces a mandated payment of $5,000 per violation under the state’s Unfair Practices Act. This results in a total of $375 million in fines. A recent court filing seeks to allocate $953 million from Meta into a fund aimed at bolstering public education and behavioral health initiatives, according to SourceNM.
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez accused Meta executives of prioritizing profits over children’s safety. He claimed they disregarded internal warnings and misled the public about known risks. Torrez stated Meta’s platform designs facilitated child exploitation by predators.
“Executives chose to put profits over kids’ safety,” said Torrez, condemning Meta’s decision-making process.
The prosecutor further criticized Meta for crafting applications intended to addict young users, exposing them to harmful content related to self-harm and eating disorders. Meanwhile, the state’s initial requested abatement amount has been significantly reduced.
A Meta spokesperson expressed concerns about the approaches proposed by the New Mexico Attorney General. They argued these measures might inadvertently reduce safety for teens, infringe on parental rights, and limit free expression.
The spokesperson noted that the judge also saw potential overreach in the proposed mandates. They stated, “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.” Meta asserts its ongoing commitment to providing safe experiences, having introduced 13 safety measures recently.
Alexandra Koch, a journalist with Fox News Digital, focuses on high-impact news events. Her reporting includes coverage of major national crises like L.A. wildfires and the Boulder terror attack.
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