New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez is drafting two new bills to strengthen consumer protections and online child safety. The legislative push comes just one day before 29 state attorneys general are scheduled to face Meta in a landmark federal trial in Oakland, California.
Legislative Reform and AI Oversight
The proposed legislation, expected to be formally announced in the coming weeks, will extend its reach beyond social media to include artificial intelligence and chatbots. One of the bills aims to remove the existing cap on penalties for violating state consumer protection laws.
Torrez also revealed that his office is preparing a lawsuit against an AI company regarding a chatbot that he claims children have formed emotional attachments to. “I think there’s a lot of momentum coming out of our victory in court, and the idea is to build on that momentum,” Torrez told the Guardian, referring to a recent $942 million verdict against Meta in New Mexico.
The Federal Front Against Meta
In the federal case, the 29-state coalition alleges that Meta intentionally designed Facebook and Instagram to keep children and teens addicted to the platforms, resulting in physical and mental harm. The states also accuse the company of illegally collecting children's data in violation of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
Meta has consistently defended its record. “We work hard to keep people safe on our platforms and have been transparent about the challenges of identifying and removing bad actors,” a spokesperson stated, adding that the company remains confident in its efforts to protect teens.
“Consumer product safety is the bedrock of a healthy society, and it is long past time for lawmakers to impose basic safeguards to protect children online,” said Julie Scelfo, founder of Mothers Against Media Addiction.
The trial is expected to last seven weeks, with high-profile testimony anticipated from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram head Adam Mosseri. According to court filings, potential damages in the broader litigation could exceed $1.4 trillion—nearly matching Meta’s current market capitalization of $1.5 trillion.
