US EditionMeta faces New Mexico trial over child-exploitation claims
New Mexico alleges Meta’s algorithms promoted illegal content and enabled child exploitation, seeking damages and safety reforms as the trial begins after a 2023 undercover probe.
- On Jan 30, Meta Platforms will face trial next week in Santa Fe District Court over allegations it exposed children to sexual exploitation, with Google as a remaining defendant.
- The case grew from an undercover operation in 2023 by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez, a Democrat, whose investigators created accounts posing as users younger than 14, leading to criminal charges against three individuals.
- Evidence expected at trial includes Meta's AI chatbots, with Reuters reporting last year that internal company documents allowed chatbots to `engage a child in conversations that are romantic or sensual` and Meta later removed this language.
- Meta denies the claims and says it has implemented safeguards, arguing it is shielded by the First Amendment and Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, while the New Mexico Department of Justice seeks monetary damages and platform changes.
- The case is part of thousands of lawsuits alleging harm to youth and follows whistleblower testimony before Congress in 2021; related trials began in Los Angeles earlier this week.
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Meta faces trial next week in a lawsuit filed by New Mexico alleging that it exposed children and teens to sexual exploitation on its platforms and profited from it, the first such case against the social media giant to reach a jury. The lawsuit, filed by New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez, alleges that the company promoted illegal content and facilitated the sexual exploitation of children on its Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp platforms.…
CORRECTED-Meta faces New Mexico trial over child-exploitation claims
The accounts received sexually explicit material and were contacted by adults seeking similar content, leading to criminal charges against three individuals, according to Torrez's office. The state also accuses Meta of designing its platforms to maximize engagement despite evidence they were harming children's mental health.
The New Mexico Attorney General's Office is suing Meta for exposing children and teenagers to sexual exploitation on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The lawsuit is based on evidence collected in 2023 during an undercover operation in a virtual environment. Here is the full text (PDF – 5 MB, in English). The trial is scheduled to begin next Monday (February 2, 2026) in the Santa Fe District Court. Meta denies the accusations and claims to be p…
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