New Mexico’s capital, Santa Fe —

New Mexico’s attorney general has filed a lawsuit against Facebook and Instagram, accusing them of not adequately safeguarding underage users from being exposed to child sexual abuse material. The lawsuit also claims that the platforms allow adults to solicit pornographic images from minors, following an undercover investigation conducted online.

Attorney General Raul Torrez stated on Wednesday that our research on Meta’s social media platforms has revealed that they are not secure environments for children, but rather hubs for predators to exchange child pornography and attempt to engage minors in sexual activities.

A legal case was recently brought against Meta Platforms Inc. in state court, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg also being named as a defendant.

Furthermore, the lawsuit alleges that Meta’s platform has a detrimental effect on minors and young adults due to its addictive design, leading to negative impacts on users’ mental well-being, self-esteem, and physical safety. This statement was released by Torrez’s office.

Similar allegations were made in a legal case brought forth in October by the attorneys general of 33 states, such as California and New York, against Meta. The lawsuit claims that Instagram and Facebook have intentionally created features to attract children, ultimately contributing to the current crisis in youth mental health and resulting in issues like depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. However, New Mexico was not involved in this lawsuit.

Authorities in New Mexico fabricated false profiles of minors under the age of 14, which were then used to distribute sexually explicit material, even if the child showed no interest. According to state prosecutors, Meta permitted numerous adults to locate, communicate with, and solicit minors for sexually explicit and pornographic content.

Investigations revealed that the accounts were advised to join unmoderated Facebook groups that promote commercial sex. They also found that Meta allowed its users to access, distribute, and trade a large amount of child pornography.

According to Torrez, Mr. Zuckerberg and other Meta executives are fully aware of the potential harm their products can cause to young users. However, they have not taken enough action to make necessary changes to their platforms in order to prevent the sexual exploitation of children. Torrez accuses Meta’s executives of placing more importance on user engagement and ad revenue rather than the safety of the most vulnerable members of society.

The company Meta, located in Menlo Park, California, did not directly address the accusations made in the New Mexico lawsuit. However, they stated their dedication to safeguarding young users through significant resource allocation.

“We employ advanced technology and enlist the help of child safety specialists to monitor and report potentially harmful content to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Additionally, we work closely with other companies and law enforcement, such as state attorneys general, to combat predatory behavior. In just one month, we took action against over 500,000 accounts that were found to be in violation of our child safety policies.”

The spokesperson for the company, Andy Stone, referred to a report that outlined the numerous tips that Facebook and Instagram sent to the National Center during the third quarter of 2023. These tips included 48,000 instances of inappropriate interactions, such as an adult soliciting child sexual abuse material or attempting to meet with a minor in person.

Former employees and critics have frequently expressed dissatisfaction with Meta’s automated content moderation systems, arguing that they are not effective in detecting and removing abusive behavior on their platforms.