Attorney general says Meta issues threat to shut down products in New Mexico – KOAT
Attorney general says Meta issues threat to shut down products in New Mexico
I’LL TIME OUT THE RAIN, THE SNOW AND THE WIND IN JUST A BIT. FIRST, BACK TO DOUG AND SHELLEY. TONIGHT, META IS WARNING IT COULD CUT OFF FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM ACCESS FOR NEW MEXICO USERS AS ITS LEGAL BATTLE WITH THE STATE INTENSIFIES. AFTER A SANTA FE JURY ORDERED TO PAY 375 MILLION IN CIVIL PENALTIES FOR VIOLATING STATE PROTECTION LAWS. AS ALIYAH CHAVEZ REPORTS, THE STATE IS PUSHING FOR SOME SIGNIFICANT CHANGES, AND IT COULD HAVE MAJOR CONSEQUENCES FOR USERS ACROSS OUR STATE. IT’S GOING TO BE A FASCINATING BATTLE IN THE COURTROOM, NEW MEXICO ATTORNEY GENERAL RAUL TORRES IS ASKING A JUDGE TO ORDER 28 MAJOR CHANGES TO META’S PLATFORMS AIMED AT PROTECTING CHILDREN. AMONG THEM BLOCKING ANYONE UNDER 13 FROM USING THE APPS. GOING FORWARD, IMMEDIATELY DELETING EXISTING UNDERAGE ACCOUNTS, BANNING ADULTS INVOLVED IN CHILD SEXUAL EXPLOITATION AFTER A SINGLE OFFENSE, AND TURNING OFF FEATURES LIKE INFINITE SCROLLING AND AUTOPLAY FOR MINORS. META SAYS THESE JUST AREN’T FEASIBLE. THESE JUST AREN’T POSSIBLE. AND WE DO A LOT ALREADY TO PROTECT CHILDREN. META IS PUSHING BACK HARD, CALLING THE STATE’S DEMANDS TECHNICALLY IMPRACTICAL AND IMPOSSIBLE FOR ANY COMPANY TO MEET. WARNING THAT IF NO WORKABLE SOLUTION IS REACHED, IT COULD SHUT OFF ACCESS TO ITS PLATFORMS IN NEW MEXICO ALTOGETHER. THAT IS NOT GOING TO ACTUALLY SATISFY OR SOLVE THEIR LONG TERM PROBLEM, BECAUSE THERE ARE, I THINK, 42 OR 43 OTHER AGS ACROSS AMERICA WHO HAVE SIMILAR CLAIMS. TORRES CALLED THE MOVE ON HIS BEHALF A STALLING TACTIC THURSDAY, SAYING THE JUDGE COULD REJECT ALL OF THE STATE’S REQUESTS, APPROVED SOME OF THEM, OR GRANT THEM IN FULL. THE STATE IS ALSO ASKING FOR AN INDEPENDENT MONITOR TO TRACK META’S COMPLIANCE. STOP INFINITE SCROLL FOR UNDERAGE USERS. STOP AUTOPLAY. WE KNOW THOSE ADDICTIVE FEATURES ARE REALLY HAVING A HARMFUL IMPACT ON KIDS, META SAYING MANY OF THE SAFEGUARDS THE STATE IS SEEKING ARE ALREADY IN PLACE, POINTING TO PARENTAL CONTROLS TO LIMIT SCREEN TIME. THE COMPANY SAYS IT ALREADY PROMPTS TEENS TO TAKE BREAKS AFTER AN HOUR, MAKES THEIR ACCOUNTS PRIVATE BY DEFAULT, AND GIVES USERS THE OPTION TO HIDE LIKE COUNTS. MOST LIKELY, THIS IS A NEGOTIATING TACTIC TO START OFF THE DISCUSSIONS, BUT IN THE END, IS THAT POSSIBLE THAT META WOULD EXCLUDE NEW MEXICANS FROM ACCESSING ITS PROGRAMS? TECHNICALLY, THEY COULD DO IT, AND THAT WAS ALIYAH CHAVEZ REPORTING THIS BENCH TRIAL TO DETERMINE WHETHER META’S PLATFORM IS A PUBLIC NUISANCE STARTS ON MONDAY. BOTH META AND THE STATE WILL PRESENT THEIR CASE. THEN A JUDGE ALONE, NOT A JURY,
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Attorney general says Meta issues threat to shut down products in New Mexico
New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez is responding to a reported threat by Meta to shut down its products in New Mexico. “Meta is showing the world how little it cares about child safety” said Attorney General Raúl Torrez in a news release. “Meta’s refusal to follow the laws that protect our kids tells you everything you need to know about this company and the character of its leaders. We know Meta has the ability to make these changes. For years the company has rewritten its own rules, redesigned its products, and even bent to the demands of dictators to preserve market access. This is not about technological capability. Meta simply refuses to place the safety of children ahead of engagement, advertising revenue, and profit.” Meta spokesperson issued the following statement, “Despite Attorney General Torrez’s claims, the State’s demands are technically impractical, impossible for any company to meet and disregard the realities of the internet. In targeting a single platform, the State ignores the hundreds of other apps teens use, leaving parents without the comprehensive support they actually deserve. While it is not in Meta’s interests to do so, if a workable solution to Attorney General Torrez’s demands is not reached, we may have no choice but to remove access to its platforms for users in New Mexico entirely.”A jury found Meta was liable for misleading users about the safety of the platform for children. A $375 million dollar penalty was issued to Meta during the trial. Meta has stated it plans to appeal that ruling. The New Mexico Department of Justice and Meta will meet again in a bench trial scheduled for May 4 to determine whether Meta’s platforms are a public nuisance. The state attorney general is seeking court-ordered reforms to protect children as part of the bench trial.
New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez is responding to a reported threat by Meta to shut down its products in New Mexico.
“Meta is showing the world how little it cares about child safety” said Attorney General Raúl Torrez in a news release. “Meta’s refusal to follow the laws that protect our kids tells you everything you need to know about this company and the character of its leaders. We know Meta has the ability to make these changes. For years the company has rewritten its own rules, redesigned its products, and even bent to the demands of dictators to preserve market access. This is not about technological capability. Meta simply refuses to place the safety of children ahead of engagement, advertising revenue, and profit.”
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Meta spokesperson issued the following statement, “Despite Attorney General Torrez’s claims, the State’s demands are technically impractical, impossible for any company to meet and disregard the realities of the internet. In targeting a single platform, the State ignores the hundreds of other apps teens use, leaving parents without the comprehensive support they actually deserve. While it is not in Meta’s interests to do so, if a workable solution to Attorney General Torrez’s demands is not reached, we may have no choice but to remove access to its platforms for users in New Mexico entirely.”
A jury found Meta was liable for misleading users about the safety of the platform for children. A $375 million dollar penalty was issued to Meta during the trial.
Meta has stated it plans to appeal that ruling.
The New Mexico Department of Justice and Meta will meet again in a bench trial scheduled for May 4 to determine whether Meta’s platforms are a public nuisance. The state attorney general is seeking court-ordered reforms to protect children as part of the bench trial.
