New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez has filed a lawsuit against Meta Platforms, alleging that the social media giant has facilitated an environment where child predators thrive on Facebook and Instagram.
The lawsuit accuses Meta of exposing young users to inappropriate content and enabling adult strangers to contact them, thus endangering children to potential abuse or exploitation.
According to the complaint lodged in a New Mexico state court, Meta’s practices prioritize profit over child safety, violating New Mexico law by misrepresenting the level of harmful material and conduct exposed to children on its platforms.
The lawsuit also includes Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg as a defendant and seeks to hold the company accountable for the adverse effects it allegedly imposes on New Mexico’s children.
In recent years, Meta has faced mounting legal actions over concerns about its impact on young users.
The company has been embroiled in lawsuits regarding youth mental health, child safety, and privacy issues, with former employee-turned-whistleblower Arturo Bejar highlighting the company’s negligence toward teen-related harms to a Senate subcommittee.
However, Meta vehemently refuted the claims made against its platforms’ safety measures for children.
A Meta spokesperson emphasized their use of sophisticated technology, employment of child safety experts, collaboration with law enforcement and reporting content to relevant authorities like the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
The company stated its removal of numerous accounts, groups, and devices that violate its child safety policies.
In response to the allegations, Meta highlighted its proactive measures, such as deploying technology to detect and disable suspicious accounts and establishing a Child Safety Task Force to enhance youth safety policies and practices.
The company claimed to offer approximately 30 safety and well-being tools, including screen-time limitations and the option to remove post like counts, aiming to support teens and families.
The attorney general’s office conducted an investigation involving sample Instagram accounts registered to minors as young as 12 years old.
These accounts allegedly accessed explicit content, including sexual or self-harm-related materials, despite being created for minors, indicating the platform’s exposure to inappropriate content, as stated in the complaint.
Source-CNN
