Meta Warns of Halting Facebook, Instagram Services in New Mexico Over Child Safety Lawsuit

New York. American technology company Meta has warned that it may shut down its social media services Facebook and Instagram in the state of New Mexico. This situation has arisen due to the ongoing legal battle over issues related to children's mental health and safety.

New Mexico's government prosecutors have accused Meta's platforms of being unhealthy and addictive for children and have demanded comprehensive changes in the system in court. They have insisted on stricter age verification for children, improved privacy, and increased safety controls.

This case has already reached the court, where a jury has fined Meta $375 million, determining that Meta harmed children's mental health and concealed information regarding child sexual abuse.

As the second phase of the hearing is about to begin, the tension has further increased. Meta, however, claims that it is continuously improving child safety and states that it is being specifically targeted among thousands of apps.

In a recently filed legal document, Meta has warned that it will be forced to shut down services in New Mexico if the court imposes strict conditions such as requiring the age of users under 13 to be verified with 99 percent accuracy.

According to the company, fulfilling such a demand is practically impossible and could lead to the complete shutdown of services across the state. This issue has now become a major topic in the ongoing larger debate in America about child safety, social media regulation, and the responsibility of technology companies.