Closing statements commenced on Monday in a significant trial in New Mexico where Meta, a major social media conglomerate, faces allegations of deceiving users regarding the safety of its platforms for children. Following the arguments and six weeks of testimony from various witnesses, including local educators, mental health professionals, state investigators, top Meta executives, and former company whistleblowers, the case now rests with the jurors.
This trial in New Mexico state court marks one of the initial instances to go to trial in a series of legal actions concerning social media platforms and their effects on young individuals. Prosecutors in New Mexico have accused Meta, the parent company of Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, of prioritizing financial gains over safety, contravening state consumer protection statutes. The concerns raised encompass the safety implications of intricate algorithms, messaging features, and settings.
During the closing remarks, Linda Singer, the prosecution attorney, informed the jury that Meta’s products were leading young people to excessive usage without adequate control, a fact the company allegedly failed to disclose. Singer highlighted that Meta’s algorithms were reportedly promoting sensational and harmful content to teenagers while inadequately enforcing the minimum user age of 13.
On the contrary, Meta’s legal representatives contested the accusations, asserting that the company implements safeguards for teenagers and endeavors to filter out harmful content, albeit acknowledging occasional lapses in preventing potentially harmful posts.
Singer urged the jurors to levy a civil penalty exceeding $2 billion against Meta, based on the maximum penalty per violation for two counts of consumer protection violations, considering an estimated 208,700 monthly underage users of Meta platforms in New Mexico.
The trial will proceed to a second phase wherein a judge will determine whether Meta created a public nuisance and should bear financial responsibility for funding programs to address alleged harms to children. The lawsuit, filed in 2023 by Attorney General Raúl Torrez, alleges that Meta facilitated a marketplace and environment for predators targeting minors for exploitation without disclosing pertinent information about the risks.
While Meta executives emphasized continuous safety enhancements and efforts to address social media overuse, the prosecution contended that internal studies and communications within the company contradicted public assurances on safety disclosures. The jury, drawn from residents of Santa Fe County, will decide if Meta violated the state’s Unfair Practices Act, potentially incurring fines up to $5,000 per violation for willful breaches.
Despite the protection granted to tech companies under Section 230 of the U.S. Communications Decency Act and the shield of the First Amendment, prosecutors in New Mexico aim to hold Meta accountable for disseminating addictive and harmful content to children through complex algorithms.
In a separate trial in California, a jury is currently deliberating on potential liability of Meta and YouTube for harms inflicted on children using their platforms, a case with far-reaching implications for similar lawsuits against social media firms.