Taylor Velasquez

In the second phase, a bench trial, a judge alone will hear New Mexico's arguments that Meta's platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, amount to a public nuisance.

The state is asking for court order changes like stronger age verification and safer recommendation algorithms.

Attorney General Raul Torres says the company has long had the ability to make those changes but hasn't, framing it as a choice to prioritize profits over safety.

Meta in court filing says some of the proposed reforms like verifying users' ages with near total accuracy aren't feasible and has raised the possibility of pulling its services from the state.

For NPR News, I'm Taylor Velazquez in Albuquerque.

The owner of Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp is now on the hook for $375 million in civil penalties for violating New Mexico's consumer protection laws.

New Mexico's Attorney General Raul Torres calls the verdict a historic win, making the state the first to hold a tech company liable for harming young people.

Torres says Meta knew its platforms posed risks to children, ignored internal warnings, and misled the public.

Meta says it will appeal.

Either way, the state's case is not over.

It's also asking the company to be required to change its business practices, for example, by implementing stronger age verification and removing predators from its platform.

For NPR News, I'm Taylor Velazquez in Albuquerque.