NCOSE Urges Congress to Pass Kids Online Safety Act to Ensure Big Tech Accountability
WASHINGTON, DC (August 7, 2026) – The National Center on Sexual Exploitation said that the new ruling against Meta in New Mexico is a major victory in the movement to protect children online and hold Big Tech accountable. Meta will have to pay $567 million to fund youth mental health services and to address the harms of social media on youth.
“In sum, the Court finds that New Mexico is in the midst of a teen mental health crisis affecting public health and public safety in and throughout the state, and that Meta’s platforms are a significant contributing cause to the crisis,” wrote Chief Judge Bryan Biedscheid.
“This is Big Tech’s Big Tobacco moment. This historic verdict holds Meta accountable for protecting children online. Big Tech accountability has been a long time coming, and we are thankful that states like New Mexico are fighting to protect its youth,” said Dr. Marcel van der Watt, President and CEO, National Center on Sexual Exploitation.
“The judge confirms that Meta did not prioritize the safety of children over its profits and has rightly ordered Meta to strengthen protections for minors, including better age assurance, removal of data from users under 13, stronger safeguards against harmful interactions, and more visible safety information. Meta must also report on its compliance.
“Now, the U.S. Senate has the opportunity to implement common-sense safety standards nationwide by passing the Kids Online Safety Act with its strong Duty of Care provision. If enacted, it would compel companies like Meta to design platforms with children’s safety in mind, not after the harm has already been done,” Van der Watt said.
NCOSE Executive Director Haley McNamara, who was deposed in this civil lawsuit, testified about Meta’s failure to rectify harms to children, despite NCOSE repeatedly raising the matter to the company’s attention. She also spoke to Meta’s deceptive practices, failing to disclose any risk of sexual exploitation in its parent guide, and misrepresenting that bullying was the only danger on its platforms.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg was named to NCOSE’s 2026 Dirty Dozen List of mainstream contributors to sexual exploitation.
About National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE)
Founded in 1962, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) is the leading national non-profit organization exposing the links between all forms of sexual exploitation such as child sexual abuse, prostitution, sex trafficking and the public health harms of pornography.
To schedule an interview with NCOSE, please contact press@ncose.com.
