Meta Threatens New Mexico Shutdown Over Child Safety Trial

Following a March jury verdict that ordered it to pay $375 million for misleading consumers and harming children's mental health, Meta Platforms, Inc. is now facing a bench trial in Santa Fe to determine if its operations constitute a public nuisance. New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez is seeking billions in additional damages—including a $3.7 billion mental health abatement plan—alongside more than 75 platform modifications. Proposed reforms include 99% accuracy in age verification, the removal of infinite scroll and autoplay, and mandates that child accounts be linked to guardians.

Meta has threatened to shut down Facebook and Instagram services entirely within New Mexico if these mandates are imposed. The company argues that building state-specific versions of its apps is economically and engineeringly unfeasible, describing the requirements as impossible obligations that infringe on parental rights. Meta's legal team further contends that the platform is not a public nuisance, citing individual misuse as the cause of harm.

Presiding Judge Bryan Biedscheid began the trial on May 4, 2026, warning that some of the state's requested fixes may constitute regulatory overreach. The proceedings are expected to last three weeks. This case is the first to reach trial among a wave of similar lawsuits filed by more than 40 state attorneys general alleging the company contributed to a youth mental health crisis.