Exclusive | Inside Metas threat to exit New Mexico over kids safety rules and whether experts believe the ploy will work
Mark Zuckerberg’s threat to shut down Instagram and Facebook in New Mexico over the state’s demands for kids safety protections is a tactic he has previously used to dodge regulations – but as the lawsuits pile up, experts say the act is wearing thin.Meta’s warning came last month on the eve of a trial in which a state judge will rule whether to impose strict safety rules in New Mexico against the social media giant, which was slapped with $375 million in civil penalties for failing to protect underage users from sexual predators.Once an effective tool for gaining leverage and grabbing headlines, the shutdown threats are quickly becoming impractical for Meta, according to James Grimmelmann, a professor at Cornell Law School.“In the long run, the problem for Meta is that similar pressure will be coming from other states, both in lawsuits and from regulation,” Grimmelmann said.“At some point, it won’t just be a separate app for New Mexico, it’ll be an app to meet the (broadly similar) demands of 15 states.”Meta currently faces more than 2,400 pending lawsuits around the country, including claims from more than 40 state attorneys general.
In April, Meta was ordered to pay damages after being found liable in Los Angeles state court for fueling social media addiction.In 2022, Meta threatened to cut off Instagram and Facebook access in Europe during a dispute over data-sharing rules – which led European lawmaker Axel Voss to accuse the company of “blackmail.” Meta has yet to follow through on that threat, but its relations with the EU have crumbled as the bloc moves ahead with strict tech regulation.Elsewhere, Meta has blocked all news content on its app in Canada since 2023 in response to a law requiring the firm to pay media outlets their fair share for content.It briefly enacted a similar shutdown in Australia in 2021, only to reverse course after striking a deal with local officials.
Meta and Australia were still trading barbs over payme...