New Mexico Jury Decides Landmark Lawsuit Against Meta
A jury in New Mexico was set to reach a decision on Tuesday regarding a significant lawsuit that claims Mark Zuckerberg’s company failed to protect children from sexual offenders while chasing profits.
Deliberations were underway after jurors listened to closing arguments, following six weeks of witness testimonies that included former executives, educators, and online safety specialists.
Prosecutors from New Mexico argued that Meta hid the reality of safety concerns affecting children on Facebook and Instagram, neglecting its own stated minimum age requirement of 13. They indicated that the company’s algorithms may actually facilitate easier targeting of children for online harassment and even sex trafficking.
State Attorney Linda Singer addressed the jury, stating, “The safety issues highlighted in this case were not coincidental.” She emphasized that they stemmed from a corporate mindset prioritizing development and engagement over child safety, and children across the state and nationwide are paying the price for this approach.
Attorneys in New Mexico are pursuing a substantial $2 billion fine against Meta for allegedly breaching state laws regarding unfair trade practices. This lawsuit, initiated by Attorney General Raul Torres, is part of a broader wave of trials nationwide that aim to determine if Big Tech companies can be held accountable for harmful content on their platforms.
Meta has forcefully countered these allegations, asserting that it has implemented many measures to enhance safety and has invested significant resources into combating harm.
“Meta has developed innovative automated tools for user protection,” argued Kevin Huff, an attorney for Meta. “We have 40,000 employees focused on making our apps secure.” He described the request for New Mexico’s $2 billion fine as “a shocking number.”
On the other hand, Singer accused Mehta of “repeatedly failing to act honestly and transparently” and in protecting the youth in the state. “It’s up to you to get this job done,” she urged the jurors.
The investigation into Meta included a sting operation where authorities established test accounts to scrutinize the company’s safety measures. The lawsuit claims these accounts were inundated with adult sexual content and proposals from alleged child predators, with offers of “photos and videos of genitals” and substantial payments for participation in pornographic activities. Local law enforcement apprehended at least three individuals during this operation.
Jurors heard from Arturo Bejar, a whistleblower and former safety researcher, who shared a poignant story about his daughter receiving inappropriate messages shortly after she opened her first Instagram account. He asserted that Meta’s algorithms inadvertently facilitate predators in locating potential victims.
“This product excels at connecting people with their interests. If your interest is young girls, it does so remarkably well,” Bejar stated.
Additionally, court documents revealed an internal email in which researchers warned executives that there could be as many as 500,000 online sexual incidents each day across Facebook and Instagram.
Meta is also awaiting a verdict in another case in California, where it faces accusations that it, along with Google’s YouTube, knowingly contributed to social media addiction, thus creating a public health crisis. Both companies deny any wrongdoing.
