Meta Faces First State Trial Over Child Sexual Exploitation Claims in New Mexico

A significant legal milestone has arrived in the battle against child exploitation on social media. New Mexico has launched the first standalone state prosecution trial against Meta, with opening arguments commencing this week. The case centers on whether the technology giant misrepresented the safety of its platforms while knowingly exposing minors to sexual predators and mental health harms.

According to New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez's legal team, the company engineered its algorithms and account features specifically to addict young users while simultaneously creating an environment where predators could easily identify and exploit vulnerable children. The state contends that Meta violated consumer protection statutes by concealing what internal research revealed about these dangers.

How Prosecutors Built Their Case

The investigation employed an unconventional strategy to document the platform's vulnerabilities. Torrez's office created fake social media accounts posing as minors, then systematically recorded the solicitations that arrived within days. This evidence forms the backbone of the prosecution's argument that Meta's systems facilitate child sexual exploitation at scale.

The lawsuit alleges Meta committed multiple violations:

  • Designing addictive features targeting young people while understanding the psychological risks
  • Failing to disclose known harms in violation of state consumer protection laws
  • Creating a public nuisance through its platform architecture
  • Prioritizing profit over child safety

Prosecutors plan to present testimony and evidence demonstrating how Meta's recommendation systems and social features actively encourage extended engagement among vulnerable populations, all while the company possessed internal data about the consequences.

Meta's Defense Strategy

The technology company has mounted a vigorous counteroffensive, characterizing the state's investigation as fundamentally compromised. Through statements posted on X, Meta spokesperson Andy Stone highlighted what the company views as ethical problems with the prosecution's methods, including the use of child photographs on proxy accounts, delayed reporting of child sexual abuse material, and the destruction of investigative data.

Meta's broader defense argues that attributing teenage mental health struggles exclusively to social media oversimplifies a complex issue involving multiple contributing factors. The company emphasizes its decade-long commitment to safety, pointing to numerous features introduced to protect younger users:

  • Enhanced privacy controls and account settings specifically designed for teens
  • Tools providing greater transparency about who contacts young users
  • Content restrictions aligned with PG-13 movie ratings
  • Ongoing collaboration with parents, experts, and law enforcement

Meta maintains that these investments demonstrate genuine concern for user welfare and contradict allegations of willful negligence.

Jury Selection Reveals Public Skepticism

The jury selection process, drawing from more than 200 Santa Fe County residents, exposed considerable public ambivalence toward technology executives and their platforms. Potential jurors included educators, young adults who came of age alongside social media, and individuals who deliberately avoided these services entirely.

Comments from the jury pool reflected widespread frustration with technology leadership. One prospective juror characterized Meta's chief executive as "the tech bro making money off of all of us," suggesting that public perception of corporate motivation may influence how evidence is received during trial proceedings.

A Watershed Moment in Tech Regulation

This New Mexico trial represents a watershed moment in litigation against social media giants. Although more than 40 state attorneys general have filed similar suits against Meta, alleging deliberately addictive design, this case marks the first to proceed to trial. The majority of comparable lawsuits remain in federal court systems, where proceedings have moved more slowly.

A related bellwether case in California involving Instagram, YouTube, and other platforms has encountered delays in opening statements. That suit centers on a 19-year-old plaintiff claiming that early social media exposure created technology addiction and worsened depression and suicidal ideation. Notably, TikTok and Snap Inc. settled their portions of that litigation, suggesting that some companies view trial exposure as riskier than negotiated settlements.

Broader Implications for Platform Accountability

The trial will examine contentious questions about algorithmic responsibility and encryption policy. Torrez has publicly advocated for more robust age verification mechanisms, removal of bad actors from platforms, and modifications to algorithms that distribute harmful content. The attorney general has also criticized end-to-end encryption, arguing that such privacy protections can prevent monitoring of communications involving minors.

State prosecutors have warned that evidence presented during the trial will include "very sensitive and very explicit material" related to child safety, signaling that jurors will confront disturbing documentation of exploitation.

Whether Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg will testify in person remains uncertain. New Mexico law limits the ability to compel out-of-state witnesses to appear physically, though prosecutors can introduce deposition testimony from the company's leadership.

This trial will likely establish precedent for how states approach corporate accountability in the social media era, potentially influencing settlement negotiations in dozens of pending cases and shaping future regulatory frameworks governing platform design and child protection.

This article is based on reporting by Fast Company. Read the original article.