The Verge·May 2, 2026

🔒Meta Faces New Mexico Court Order on Age Verification and Encryption

Meta's Business Model in Crosshairs Over Kids' Safety

TL;DR

The state of New Mexico is pushing for strict age verification and encryption limits on Meta, impacting users under 18. The trial could set a precedent for other states to follow.

New Mexico's Attorney General wants to force Meta to implement strict measures like age verification and limiting engagement features for minors. If the court rules in favor of these changes, it could affect how tech companies handle user data across the US. Proposed restrictions include prohibiting end-to-end encryption for users under 18 and capping their usage at 90 hours per month. The trial will feature about 15 witnesses, including experts who will testify on Meta's alleged harms.

Meta Faces New Mexico Court Order on Age Verification and Encryption

Key Points

1

Meta faces age verification mandate for New Mexico users under 18

2

Proposed changes limit underage user engagement to 90 hours/month

3

End-to-end encryption prohibited for minors in the state

4

Meta's own profile recommendations connecting adults and minors highlighted as a risk

5

Judge Bryan Biedscheid will evaluate proposals' relevance after trial

Why It Matters

If New Mexico wins, other states may follow suit with similar mandates. This could force tech companies to rethink their business models around user data protection, especially for minors. For example, if Meta complies and implements age verification, it would likely impact how they handle personal information across all users.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does this matter?

If New Mexico wins, other states may follow suit with similar mandates. This could force tech companies to rethink their business models around user data protection, especially for minors. For example, if Meta complies and implements age verification, it would likely impact how they handle personal information across all users.

What happened?

The state of New Mexico is pushing for strict age verification and encryption limits on Meta, impacting users under 18. The trial could set a precedent for other states to follow.

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