Judge denies Meta request to delay trial in New Mexico child safety case
A judge denied Meta’s request to delay trial in New Mexico’s case over child safety, allowing proceedings on potential platform changes to move forward May 4.
Ruling clears way for May 4 proceedings on potential court-ordered changes to social media platforms
Organ Mountain News report
SANTA FE - A state district judge on Thursday denied a request from Meta Platforms Inc. to delay the next phase of a New Mexico lawsuit over child safety, allowing the case to proceed as scheduled.
District Judge Bryan Biedscheid rejected Meta’s motion to postpone the upcoming bench trial, which is set to begin May 4. The next phase will focus on what changes, if any, the company must make following a jury verdict earlier this year.
A New Mexico jury previously found Meta liable for 75,000 violations of state law and ordered the company to pay $375 million in civil penalties. Meta has said it plans to appeal the verdict.
The May proceedings will address the state’s public nuisance claim and determine whether the court will impose requirements on how Meta operates its platforms for minors.
According to filings from the New Mexico Department of Justice, the state plans to seek an order requiring changes to platform design, account protections and enforcement practices.
Proposed measures outlined by the state include limits on certain platform features, changes to how accounts for minors are configured and restrictions on interactions between adults and minors.
The proposal also calls for new age verification requirements, oversight by a court-appointed monitor and expanded access for independent researchers to review platform systems.
If approved, the order would apply to Meta’s major platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, for a minimum of five years.
Attorney General Raúl Torrez filed the lawsuit in 2023 following an undercover investigation by state agents posing as minors on Meta’s platforms. Investigators reported receiving sexual solicitations and other predatory messages.
The case went to trial earlier this year and included testimony from former Meta employees, law enforcement officials, educators and industry experts, along with internal company documents presented by the state.
The court will hear arguments on potential remedies when proceedings resume in May.
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