Meta Heads to Landmark Trial Over Allegations of Child Exploitation on Social Media Platforms

BY COMFORT OGBONNA

Meta Platforms is set to go on trial next week in a closely watched lawsuit brought by the state of New Mexico that accuses the social media giant of exposing children and teenagers to sexual exploitation on its platforms and profiting from that exposure. The case, which will be heard by a jury, is the first of its kind against Meta to reach trial and could have wide-ranging implications for how technology companies are held accountable for child safety online.

The lawsuit was filed by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez and alleges that Meta promoted illegal content and failed to prevent the sexual exploitation of minors on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. According to the complaint, the company allowed predators to gain easy access to underage users, connecting them with potential victims in ways that sometimes escalated into real-world abuse and human trafficking. The state argues that Meta’s systems did not merely fail to stop this behavior, but in some cases enabled it by prioritizing engagement and growth over safety.

Jury selection is scheduled to begin on Monday in Santa Fe District Court, with the trial expected to last seven to eight weeks. Prosecutors plan to present extensive evidence gathered over several years, including internal company materials and testimony intended to show that Meta was aware of the risks to children but did not take sufficient action to address them.

Meta strongly denies the allegations and says it has invested heavily in safeguards designed to protect younger users. The company maintains that it actively works with parents, experts and law enforcement to combat abuse and exploitation and that it has introduced numerous safety tools aimed at reducing harm to children and teens.

The case stems in part from a 2023 undercover investigation conducted by the New Mexico Attorney General’s office known as “Operation MetaPhile.” As part of the operation, investigators created accounts on Facebook and Instagram posing as users under the age of 14. According to the state, those accounts were quickly contacted by adults seeking sexually explicit interactions and were sent inappropriate material. The operation led to criminal charges against three individuals and, prosecutors say, demonstrated systemic failures in Meta’s ability to prevent adults from targeting minors on its platforms.

Beyond allegations of sexual exploitation, the lawsuit also accuses Meta of intentionally designing its platforms to maximize user engagement despite evidence that such designs harm children’s mental health. Features such as infinite scrolling feeds and auto-play videos are cited as mechanisms that keep young users online for extended periods, fostering addictive behavior. The state claims this can contribute to anxiety, depression and other mental health challenges among children and teens.

According to the complaint, internal company documents acknowledged problems related to both child exploitation and mental health harms. Despite this awareness, the state alleges Meta failed to implement basic safety measures, such as robust age verification systems, and misrepresented how safe its platforms were for younger users. New Mexico is seeking monetary damages as well as a court order requiring Meta to make changes aimed at improving child safety across its services.

In a statement ahead of the trial, a Meta spokesperson dismissed the state’s arguments as “sensationalist, irrelevant and distracting,” saying they rely on selectively chosen documents that do not reflect the full scope of the company’s efforts. The spokesperson emphasized that Meta has spent more than a decade researching child safety issues, engaging with experts and improving its policies, while continuing to refine protections for young users.

Meta has also argued that it is shielded from liability under the First Amendment and Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which generally protects online platforms from lawsuits based on user-generated content. The company contends that the state’s claims cannot be separated from protected speech, because algorithms and design features are part of how content is published and shared on its platforms.

A spokesperson for the New Mexico Department of Justice said the trial will give the state an opportunity to present a comprehensive case built on documents and testimony collected over more than two years of litigation, allowing jurors to assess Meta’s actions and internal decision-making.

The trial comes amid growing scrutiny of Meta and other social media companies over the safety of children and teens online. Concerns intensified after whistleblower testimony before Congress in 2021 alleged that the company knew its products could harm young users but failed to act decisively. Additional attention followed reports that internal policy documents once allowed Meta’s AI chatbots to engage in romantic or sensual conversations with minors, language the company later said it removed.

Evidence related to Meta’s artificial intelligence systems and chatbots is expected to be introduced during the trial, as lawmakers and regulators continue to examine the broader impact of emerging technologies on children.

Meta is also facing thousands of other lawsuits across the United States that accuse it, along with other social media companies, of deliberately designing addictive products that contribute to a nationwide youth mental health crisis. Some of those cases seek damages in the tens of billions of dollars. Meta has denied those claims as well, again pointing to Section 230 protections and highlighting steps it says have reduced youth engagement in the interest of safety.

The first trial among those broader addiction-related cases began earlier this week in Los Angeles. In that case, Google and Meta remain as defendants after TikTok and Snap reached settlements with the plaintiffs. Together, the lawsuits signal an intensifying legal and regulatory battle over how social media platforms are designed, moderated and governed, particularly when it comes to protecting children and teenagers online.