May 4, 2026:
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico state prosecutors are seeking fundamental changes to Meta’s social media apps and algorithms to safeguard children in the second phase of a landmark trial on allegations that platforms such as Instagram have created a public safety hazard. Attorneys made opening statements Monday (May 4, 2026) in the three-week bench trial. Meta has warned that it could eliminate service in the state if forced to comply with impractical mandates. Recent jury verdicts have validated long-standing concerns about the dangers of social media for young people. New Mexico prosecutors say Meta’s platforms pose a public nuisance under state law and want improvements aimed at curbing child sexual exploitation.
March 25, 2026:
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico jury determined Tuesday (March 24, 2026) that Meta knowingly harmed children’s mental health and concealed what it knew about child sexual exploitation on its social media platforms, a verdict that signals a changing tide against tech companies and the government’s willingness to crack down.
The landmark decision comes after a nearly seven-week trial, and as jurors in a federal court in California have been sequestered in deliberations for more than a week about whether Meta and YouTube should be liable in a similar case.
New Mexico jurors sided with state prosecutors who argued that Meta — which owns Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp — prioritized profits over safety, and violated parts of the state’s Unfair Practices Act.
The jury agreed with allegations that Meta made false or misleading statements and also agreed that Meta engaged in “unconscionable” trade practices that unfairly took advantage of the vulnerabilities of and inexperience of children.
March 20, 2026:
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A daunting stream of testimony and documentation has been presented in a New Mexico case that explores what Meta knew about the effects of its platforms on children. State prosecutors allege Meta knew about the risks its platforms — Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp — pose to children but failed to warn users. Meta says it’s been forthright about risks while continuously striving to improve safeguards. The trial is approaching its seventh week. Jurors aren’t deliberating yet. But if they find that Meta violated state consumer protection laws, prosecutors say sanctions could be in the billions of dollars. Meta, however, says it would ask for a different calculation than prosecutors have proposed.
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