After realizing the negative impact social media has on teenage girls, including the harassment they often face from strangers, Raul Torrez decided that action was necessary. The aim is to bring Meta’s executives to court and hold them accountable.
“We must re-evaluate how the algorithms expose vulnerable kids to predators on our platforms,” said Torrez, the Attorney General of New Mexico.
Currently, New Mexico is engaged in a legal battle against companies led by Mark Zuckerberg, such as Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp. The state alleges that these platforms expose children to significant risks, including sexual exploitation and mental health issues through harmful messaging, “sextortion,” and human trafficking.
Documents revealed just before a major trial show that researchers at Meta have indicated as many as 500,000 instances of online sexual exploitation could occur daily across their platforms.
A former executive at Meta, Arturo Bejar, stirred attention with his testimony in the ongoing case.
“This product is excellent at connecting people with shared interests. If someone’s interest is little girls, it is very effective at facilitating that connection,” he remarked.
Bejar also shared a personal story about his daughter, who was targeted by predators sending inappropriate messages and images.
“I was right there when she set up her account,” Bejar said. “I didn’t expect it would lead predators right to her, or result in people trying to sell nude photos of her as a teenager.”
Torrez and his team created a fake account that posed as a 13-year-old girl. Almost immediately, they were inundated with explicit messages and pictures from predators.
“We witnessed a massive surge in adult men following the account and sending direct messages filled with sexually explicit content,” noted Torrez, who has a background in prosecuting child abuse cases.
In May 2024, Torres announced the arrest of three individuals during “Operation Metaphile,” all of whom thought they were meeting a 13-year-old girl for sex. They had connected with the decoy through Meta platforms.
One man, 52-year-old Fernando Clyde, sent explicit photos and even expressed violent intentions towards the supposed minor.
In one instance, when the decoy sent a photo of a friend claiming to be “just 11,” he replied with, “Hmm, really?”
Another individual, Christopher Reynolds, became a specific focus for the operation after a real 11-year-old girl contacted her mother about his messages. He even suggested finding a motel for the two of them to meet.
All three faced charges related to soliciting a minor through electronic communications, with two of them charged with attempted sexual penetration of a minor.
Torrez argues that this operation is evidence of how Meta is violating consumer protection laws by not adequately informing users about the risks its products pose.
“A jury might find it hard to believe that a company with such vast resources isn’t doing enough to prevent this harm,” he said.
Instagram’s CEO, Adam Mosseri, recently testified, addressing whether the platform should enhance its safety measures for young users. He asserted, “It should obviously do everything it can,” while noting the complexities involved in managing a platform with over 2 billion users.
Torrez criticized the executives for what he felt was a persistent effort to downplay the issues while the trial continues, likely extending for several more weeks until a jury will decide on Meta’s liability.
At the same time, a separate jury trial is happening in Los Angeles where a 20-year-old woman is suing Meta and Google, claiming their platforms are intentionally harmful to children.
A Meta spokesperson responded to the allegations, stating that Torrez is cherry-picking documents to make misleading arguments.
“We are deeply committed to supporting young users,” the spokesperson said. “Over the past decade, we’ve engaged with parents and experts to drive meaningful changes.”
Torrez believes implementing the changes he proposes is entirely feasible.
“Stricter age verification would provide clarity on users’ ages, allowing us to tailor their experiences more carefully,” he emphasized.
