AFPI Responds to Court Proceedings in Meta Cases in NM and CA

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) released the following statement from Joel Thayer, senior fellow for AI and Emerging Technology, regarding two Meta lawsuits: one in New Mexico, from early August, and one in California, which began this week.

A New Mexico judge ruled in early August that Meta must make significant changes to its platform for New Mexico users and pay a $567 million fine for the negative impact its platforms have had on schools, hospitals, and law enforcement. This case is the first time in history that a court has ordered broad changes to the user interface of a social media platform due to its finding that Meta Platforms contributed to the mental health crisis plaguing America’s youth.

"A federal court found last week in New Mexico that Big Tech companies’ addictive designs harmed children is a welcomed development in the pursuit of online child safety. On the heels of that decision, a jury trial brought by a bipartisan group of attorney general offices is underway against Meta for those same addictive behaviors," said Joel. "These are all positive steps forward, and the call for a federal standard has never been clearer, especially as AI chatbots demonstrate the same addictive trends as social media. We need a strong federal policies establishing clear guardrails to keep kids safe and put parents back in control before more families suffer these same tragedies."

Attorneys general from 29 states, including California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey, began hearings this week in their 2023 lawsuit against Meta in an Oakland federal court over child safety and privacy concerns. These states argue that these platforms are designed to intentionally addict children, which harms young people’s wellbeing. The decision in this case is forthcoming.

Read AFPI’s Expert Insight on AI and Child Safety here.