Santa Fe, New Mexico — The trial focused on the dangers of child sexual exploitation on social media and whether it is possible dead New Mexico’s “Misrepresent the Safety of Its Platforms” event is scheduled to begin with opening statements Monday.
that it First independent trial From prosecutors in a series of lawsuits against major social media companies, including Meta, for child harm, these suits are likely to shine a spotlight on explicit online content and its effects.
New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez sued Meta in 2023. His team built the case by posing as children through social media accounts, then documenting the arrival of sexual solicitations as well as the response of Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
Prosecutors say they will present evidence and testimony that meta algorithms and account features have enticed and addicted young people to social media, while also creating a “breeding ground” for predators who target children for sexual exploitation. Prosecutors allege that Meta failed to disclose what it knew about those harmful effects, in violation of state consumer protection laws. Meta is also charged with causing a public nuisance.
“Mita intentionally exposes children to the dual risks of sexual exploitation and mental health harm,” the lawsuit states. “Metta’s motivation for doing this is profit.”
Meta denies any legal violations and says prosecutors are cherry-picking evidence to make sensationalist arguments. On Sunday, Meta called the state’s investigation “ethically deficient” in its use of images of children on agent accounts, delays in reporting child sexual abuse material and disposal of data from devices used in the investigation, in social media posts to X by company spokesman Andy Stone.
The company says the lawsuits attempt to shift the blame for teens’ mental health struggles onto social media companies in a way that oversimplifies matters. Meta says it has a long-standing commitment to supporting young people, highlighting the continued addition of account settings and tools — including safety features that give teens more information about who they’re talking to and content restrictions based on PG-13 movie ratings.
“For more than a decade, we’ve listened to parents, worked with experts and law enforcement, and conducted in-depth research to understand the issues that matter most,” the company said in a statement. “We are proud of the progress we have made.”
It is unclear whether he is the CEO of Meta Mark Zuckerberg He will testify at trial. New Mexico limits the ability to compel out-of-state witnesses to testify in person, while prosecutors can introduce Zuckerberg’s testimony through a deposition.
Personal opinions about Zuckerberg and evolving attitudes toward social media loomed large as the jury was chosen from a group of more than 200 Santa Fe County residents, including many teachers, young people who grew up with social media and others who had never been involved.
“Quite frankly, he’s the tech brother who makes money off of all of us,” one person said of Zuckerberg.
A state’s attorney warned that there would be “very sensitive and very frank material discussed regarding the safety of children” during the trial.
more than Forty state attorneys general have filed lawsuits Against Meta, claiming that it deliberately designs features that make children addicted to its platforms. The majority filed lawsuits in federal court, and New Mexico v. Meta is the first to reach trial.
Opening statements have been postponed in a groundbreaking trial underway in California against social video companies, including Meta’s Instagram and Google’s YouTube, which focuses on a 19-year-old girl who claims her use of social media from an early age led to her addiction to technology and worsening depression and suicidal thoughts. TikTok and Snapchat’s parent company Snap Inc. Claims settlement In this case.
Torrez, a Democrat seeking reelection this year to a second term, urged Meta to implement a more effective age verification process and remove bad actors from its platform. It also seeks changes to algorithms that can deliver harmful material and criticizes comprehensive privacy encryption that could prevent monitoring of communications with children for safety.