Meta Faces Trial in New Mexico on Child Exploitation Charges

Meta Platforms will face a trial in the state of New Mexico (photo: x @fazlihalimmedia)

JAKARTA - Meta Platforms will face a trial in the state of New Mexico starting next week regarding a lawsuit accusing the social media company of exposing children and teenagers to sexual exploitation and profiting from the practice.

The lawsuit filed by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez marks the first case against Meta related to alleged child exploitation to reach a jury trial stage. The trial is scheduled to begin with jury selection on Monday in Santa Fe District Court and is expected to last seven to eight weeks.

In the lawsuit, the state of New Mexico accused Meta of promoting illegal content and enabling the sexual exploitation of minors through the Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp platforms. Meta was also accused of providing unlimited access for sexual predators to reach underage users, which in a number of cases led to real-world violence to human trafficking.

Meta has denied all of the allegations and says it has implemented a range of safeguards to protect young people on its platform.

This case began with an undercover operation titled "Operation MetaPhile" conducted by the New Mexico Attorney General's Office in 2023. In the operation, investigators created Facebook and Instagram accounts with the identities of children under the age of 14. The accounts were reported to receive sexually charged material and were contacted by adults looking for similar content. The operation resulted in criminal charges against three individuals.

In addition to sexual exploitation, the lawsuit also accuses Meta of deliberately designing its platform to maximize user engagement despite knowing its impact on children's mental health. Features such as infinite scroll and automatic video playback are said to encourage addictive behavior that can potentially trigger depression, anxiety, and self-harm.

According to the lawsuit documents, internal company documents show Meta is aware of sexual exploitation and mental health risks, but has failed to implement basic measures such as age verification and is considered misleading the public about the security level of its platform.

New Mexico is seeking financial damages and a court order requiring Meta to make changes to improve the safety of children on its platform.

Ahead of the trial, a Meta spokesperson called the allegations "sensational, irrelevant, and distracting." Meta also insisted it had worked with parents, experts, and law enforcement for more than a decade to improve the safety of young users.

Meta argues that the company is protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which generally exempts digital platforms from liability for user-generated content.

The case adds legal pressure on Meta, which in recent years has faced intense scrutiny over the safety of children and adolescents, including thousands of other lawsuits accusing the social media company of designing addictive products that contribute to a mental health crisis among young people.