New Mexico asks judge to order Meta changes and $3.7 billion in second phase of youth-safety trial

Monday, May 4, 2026Technology & SocietyWell-covered6 frames

Opening statements began Monday in the second phase of New Mexico's lawsuit against Meta, and this phase is being tried as a bench trial before a judge.
New Mexico is asking the judge to declare Meta's Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp platforms a public nuisance and to order changes aimed at protecting young users.
The state is seeking about $3.7 billion in remedies from Meta in this phase of the case.
The lawsuit brought by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez alleges that Meta designed its platforms in ways that addict young users and failed to protect children from sexual exploitation.
This trial phase follows a March jury verdict that found Meta liable under New Mexico law and ordered the company to pay $375 million in civil penalties or damages.
Meta has said it plans to appeal the earlier March verdict.
Prosecutors are seeking court-ordered changes to Meta's products and algorithms, including measures related to addictive features, age verification and child-safety protections.
A central unresolved issue in the bench trial is how broad any court-ordered remedy can be, with the judge expressing concern about overreaching while Meta argues against an injunction that would restructure its policies.

How left and right are reading this

Both agree: A judge is now deciding not whether Meta was liable under New Mexico law, but what remedies should follow: roughly $3.7 billion and possible court-ordered changes to Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp aimed at young-user safety.
They split on: Whether this phase is mainly about forcing stronger protections for minors on platforms alleged to be addictive and unsafe, or about limiting how far a court can go in restructuring a private company’s products, algorithms and policies.

Opening statements began Monday in the second phase of New Mexico's lawsuit against Meta, and this phase is being tried as a bench trial before a judge.
New Mexico is asking the judge to declare Meta's Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp platforms a public nuisance and to order changes aimed at protecting young users.
The state is seeking about $3.7 billion in remedies from Meta in this phase of the case.
The lawsuit brought by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez alleges that Meta designed its platforms in ways that addict young users and failed to protect children from sexual exploitation.
This trial phase follows a March jury verdict that found Meta liable under New Mexico law and ordered the company to pay $375 million in civil penalties or damages.
Meta has said it plans to appeal the earlier March verdict.
Prosecutors are seeking court-ordered changes to Meta's products and algorithms, including measures related to addictive features, age verification and child-safety protections.
A central unresolved issue in the bench trial is how broad any court-ordered remedy can be, with the judge expressing concern about overreaching while Meta argues against an injunction that would restructure its policies.