A New Mexico judge has granted Mark Zuckerberg’s request to be dropped from a lawsuit alleging that Meta, his company, has failed to protect young users from sexual exploitation on its social media platforms. This case is part of a larger trend of lawsuits filed against Meta and its platforms over concerns about child exploitation. The issue has also become a topic of congressional hearings as lawmakers and parents express growing concerns about the effects of social media on young people’s lives. The New Mexico Attorney General, Raúl Torrez, filed the lawsuit against Meta and Zuckerberg following an undercover online investigation, and while Zuckerberg has been dropped from the case, the judge allowed the state’s claims to proceed against the social media giant.
In addition to the New Mexico case, attorneys general from 33 states, including California and New York, have raised claims that Instagram and Facebook have features designed to hook children and contribute to a youth mental health crisis. While Zuckerberg has been dropped from the New Mexico lawsuit for now, the judge noted that this could change depending on the evidence presented as the case against Meta proceeds. Torrez’s office will continue to assess whether Zuckerberg should be named individually in the future as the case develops.
During the hearing, attorneys for Meta argued that prosecutors would not be able to establish that the company specifically directed its activities towards New Mexico residents and questioned personal jurisdiction. The prosecutors countered by focusing on the design features of the platforms and how people interact with them, stating that New Mexico is not seeking to hold Meta accountable for its content but rather its role in pushing out harmful content through complex algorithms. Recent charges were announced against three men accused of using Meta’s platforms to target and solicit sex with children, resulting from a monthslong undercover operation by the state Department of Justice that started around the time the lawsuit was filed against the company.
In response to the allegations, Meta has defended its use of technology to prevent suspicious adults from finding or interacting with children on its apps and emphasized its collaboration with law enforcement in investigating and prosecuting offenders. Internal documents uncovered as part of the New Mexico lawsuit reveal estimates from Meta employees that around 100,000 children are subjected to sexual harassment on the company’s platforms every day. The case in New Mexico marks a significant step in holding social media platforms accountable for protecting young users from exploitation and ensuring their safety online. The outcome of this lawsuit could have broader implications for the regulation of social media companies and their responsibilities towards minors.
