Escalation: Meta threatens New Mexico shutdown of Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp

Meta warned in a court filing that it may block Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp in New Mexico if the judge imposes the child‑safety remedies the state is seeking. The company says the package would force New Mexico‑only builds and demand perfection it cannot guarantee.

The remedies phase begins May 4 as a bench trial expected to last about three weeks. The judge will decide whether the platforms amount to a public nuisance and what changes are required, with enforcement through an independent, court‑appointed child‑safety monitor.

The state’s plan includes a 99% accuracy requirement to verify that users under 13 are kept off the services. It also seeks safer recommendation systems and warning labels, restrictions on end‑to‑end encryption for minors, permanent bans for adults who exploit children, and default safeguards for teens. Meta says the proposed setup would require running two versions of teen accounts on Facebook and Instagram.

The company argues the demands are technologically and economically infeasible and raise authority and free‑speech issues. Attorney General Raúl Torrez dismissed the shutdown threat and said Meta can make the changes but chooses not to.

AI-synthesized from multiple reported sources