Meta faces trial next week in a lawsuit filed by New Mexico, on charges of exposing children and teenagers to sexual exploitation on the platforms and profiting from it, the first case of its kind 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 enabled the sexual exploitation of children on its Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp platforms.
The lawsuit alleges that Meta allowed unrestricted access to underage users and connected them to victims, often leading to real-world abuse and human trafficking.
The trial, which is scheduled to begin with jury selection Monday in Santa Fe District Court, is expected to last seven or eight weeks.
Meta denies the allegations and says it has extensive safeguards in place to protect new users.
The case arose from an undercover operation that Torrez, a former prosecutor, and his office led in 2023.
As part of the case, investigators created Facebook and Instagram accounts posing as users younger than 14 years old.
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 that they were harming children's mental health.
Features like endless scrolling and auto-playing videos keep children glued to the site, encouraging addictive behavior that can lead to depression, anxiety and self-harm, the lawsuit claims.
The state is seeking monetary damages, as well as an order directing Meta to make changes to improve the safety of children while using the platforms. /Telegraph/
