Meta threatens to shut down social networks in New Mexico over child safety court case

Company asserts in court filing that the state’s proposed remedies would be too onerous to comply with Meta has threatened to block access to Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp in New Mexico, which would be an unprecedented move in its home country. The ultimatum, made in a court filing this week, comes after the company was found liable and fined $375m for child safety failures in a landmark lawsuit brought by the state’s attorney general. The second phase of the suit, known as the remedies phase, is scheduled to begin on Monday and will determine what actions the tech giant is obligated to take in response. Should Meta lose the second phase of trial, which will begin on 4 May, it would be compelled to introduce a series of reforms to its products. The New Mexico department of justice argues these changes would make Meta’s social networks safer for underage users in the state. Meta has argued these reforms are unfeasible and it would be left with little option but to withdraw its services completely. “Many of the requests are technologically or practically infeasible and would essentially force Meta to build entirely separate apps for use only in New Mexico,” states Meta’s court fil