New Mexico trial puts Meta under pressure: Changes coming to Facebook, Instagram?

The fate of Meta platforms hangs in balance as a trial beginning in New Mexico on Monday will decide the certain changes for Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.

The decision will be taken on whether Meta platforms constitute a public nuisance or not. The case will be tried before a judge in Sante Fe on the basis of “public nuisance law” which is traditionally used for issues like pollution or blocking roads. But this time it will be used for social media.

The trial stems from a lawsuit previously filed by New Mexico Attorney ‌ General Raúl Torrez, a Democrat, who accused Meta of designing addictive products related to social media platforms and failing to safeguard young people from online sexual exploitation.

According to court filings, Torrez’s office is seeking not only billions of dollars in damages but also a court-ordered change, obliging Meta to bring significant changes for minors.

The changes include mandatory age verification, ending features like "autoplay" and "infinite scrolling" for minors.

Meta should also redesign algorithms to prioritize "quality content" over addictive engagement.

“It will be an opportunity for us to explore more deeply the size and scale and ​effectively the monetary value of the public nuisance harm that was a product of this business's behaviour for the last, you know, 10 ​or 15 years,” Torrez told ⁠reporters ahead of the trial.

But, Meta warned that in the case of any compulsion to introduce changes in platforms would force it to withdraw its services from New Mexico if the mandates are too restrictive.

The company also claims that many of the state’s demands are “technologically impractical and completely impossible.”

Meta spokesperson said in a statement ahead of the trial, “The New Mexico Attorney General’s focus on a single platform is a misguided strategy that ignores the hundreds of other apps teens use daily.”

“Rather than providing comprehensive protections, the state's proposed mandates infringe on parental rights and stifle free expression for all New Mexicans.”

Meta also argued that it has not "interfered with a public right” and there is not a single scientific proof that social media is responsible for causing mental health issues.

As per Meta, in addition to the previous $375 million penalty, the state is reportedly seeking approximately $3.7 billion in damages to fund a 15-year mental health plan.