mark zuckerberg’s meta will go on trial in New Mexico on charges that it failed to protect children from sexual exploitation and misrepresented the safety of its platform.
Opening statements are scheduled to begin on Monday, February 9, and will be the first standalone trial brought by state prosecutors against a major social media company for child harm.
The lawsuit, filed in 2023 by New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez, centers on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
Secret accounts and exploitation allegations
Investigators established their case by creating a secret account posing as a minor and documenting the sexual advances they received and Meta’s responses.
“Meth knowingly exposes children to the twin dangers of sexual exploitation and mental health harm,” the complaint states. “The meta motive is profit.”
Prosecutors argue that Meta’s algorithms and account features encouraged compulsive use by young people, while creating what they called a “hotbed” of predators. They allege the company failed to disclose what it knew about harmful effects, violated state consumer protection laws and created a public nuisance.
The state’s attorney warned jurors that during the trial, “very sensitive and very explicit material will be discussed from a child safety standpoint.”
How did Meta respond to this allegation?
Mehta denies the allegations and claims the state is distorting the evidence. The company accused prosecutors of cherry-picking documents to make “sensationalist” claims and called the investigation “ethically compromised.”
“For more than a decade, we have listened to parents, collaborated with experts and law enforcement, and conducted thorough investigations to understand the issues that matter most,” the company said in a statement. “We are proud of the progress we have made.”
Meta also says it has widespread adoption. Protection measures for teensThis includes stricter default settings, content restrictions, and tools that give young users more information about who they’re messaging.
More than 40 state attorneys general have filed lawsuits against Meta, alleging that the company intentionally designed features to get children addicted to its platform. The majority have filed their lawsuits in federal court, and New Mexico’s case against meth will be the first to go to trial.
From exploitation allegations to addiction lawsuits
As the New Mexico case begins, Meta, along with Google’s YouTube, is filing a separate lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court that focuses on the charges. social media addiction.
The lawsuit was filed by a 19-year-old girl, identified only by her initials “KGM,” who claims that her use of Meta’s Instagram, ByteDance’s TikTok, and Google’s YouTube as a child led to worsening depression and suicidal thoughts.
TikTok reportedly settled its lawsuit with KGM hours before jury selection began, according to US media reports. The amount of the settlement was not disclosed.
“Borrowing heavily from behavioral and neurobiological techniques used in slot machines and exploited by the tobacco industry, Defendants intentionally embedded a series of design features into their products aimed at maximizing youth engagement to drive advertising revenue,” the complaint states.
“Plaintiffs are not merely collateral damage to Defendants’ products,” the complaint states. “They are the direct victims of intentional product design choices made by each defendant. They are the intended targets of harmful features forced into a self-destructive feedback loop.”
Mr Mehta disputes this claim. “Recently, there have been a number of lawsuits that attempt to place the blame squarely on social media companies for the mental health problems of teens,” Mehta said in a recent blog post.
“However, this is an oversimplification of a serious problem. Clinicians and researchers are aware that mental health is a highly complex and multifaceted issue, and trends regarding teenagers’ well-being are neither clear-cut nor universal.
“Reducing the challenges faced by teens to a single factor ignores scientific research and the many stressors that impact today’s youth, including academic pressures, school safety, socioeconomic challenges, and substance abuse.”
A Meta spokesperson said in a recent statement that the company strongly disagrees with the allegations outlined in the lawsuit and is “confident that the evidence supports our long-standing commitment to supporting youth.”
Google spokesperson Jose Castañeda said the allegations against YouTube are “completely untrue.”
“Providing safer and healthier experiences for young people has always been at the core of our work,” he said in a statement.