‘Marketplace for predators’: Meta faces jury trial over child exploitation claims | Technology

Meta’s New Mexico Trial: A Defining Moment in Tech Accountability for Child Safety

In a landmark legal showdown that could reshape the landscape of social media regulation, Meta faces a high-stakes jury trial in Santa Fe, New Mexico, beginning February 9, 2026. The case centers on explosive allegations that Facebook and Instagram have become breeding grounds for child exploitation, with the state accusing the tech giant of knowingly enabling predators to target minors through its platforms.

The New Mexico Attorney General’s office, led by Raúl Torrez, has assembled what they describe as damning evidence showing how Meta’s design choices and profit-driven algorithms have created dangerous environments for children. According to court filings, the company allegedly allowed unmoderated groups dedicated to commercial sex and facilitated the buying, selling, and sharing of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) across its platforms.

“This is about more than just individual incidents,” Torrez stated in a 2024 interview with The Guardian. “We believe Meta has become the largest marketplace for predators and pedophiles globally. Their business model prioritizes engagement over child safety, and they’ve known about these risks for years.”

The timing of this trial is particularly significant, coming just one week after a separate but related case began in Los Angeles involving hundreds of U.S. families and schools suing Meta, Snap, TikTok, and YouTube for allegedly addicting young users and causing severe mental health issues including depression, eating disorders, and self-harm.

A Meta spokesperson responded to the allegations, stating: “While the New Mexico attorney general makes sensationalist, irrelevant and distracting arguments by cherry-picking select documents, we’re focused on demonstrating our longstanding commitment to supporting young people. For over a decade, we’ve listened to parents, worked with experts and law enforcement, and conducted in-depth research to understand the issues that matter most.”

The case represents a potential breakthrough in holding social media companies accountable for platform-related harms. Historically, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act has shielded tech companies from liability for user-generated content. However, New Mexico’s lawsuit focuses on Meta’s platform design decisions and content moderation practices—areas that fall outside Section 230 protections.

Sacha Haworth, executive director of the Tech Oversight Project, emphasized the trial’s significance: “The fact that these cases are going to trial proves the Section 230 dam is breaking and social media platforms are finally being held accountable. These are the trials of a generation; just as the world watched courtrooms hold big tobacco and big pharma accountable, we will for the first time see big tech CEOs take the stand.”

The evidence expected to be presented includes shocking internal Meta documents revealing that approximately 100,000 children on Facebook and Instagram experience online sexual harassment daily. Court filings have also unveiled chat excerpts of users allegedly discussing how to lure minors into sexual interactions.

Perhaps most damning are allegations that Meta profited by placing advertisements from major corporations like Walmart and Match Group alongside content that sexualized children. Internal emails suggest the company was aware of this problematic adjacency but continued the practice for revenue generation.

The case also involves “Operation MetaPhile,” a 2024 investigation that led to the arrest of three men charged with sexually preying on children through Meta’s platforms. Undercover agents posing as minors were contacted by suspects who allegedly solicited them for sex after finding potential victims through Facebook and Instagram’s design features.

Adding to the controversy are recent allegations that Mark Zuckerberg personally approved allowing minors to access AI chatbot companions despite warnings from the company’s safety staff that the bots could engage in sexual interactions. Internal communications reportedly show that “Meta, driven by Zuckerberg, rejected the recommendations of its integrity staff and declined to impose reasonable guardrails to prevent children from being subject to sexually exploitative conversations with its AI chatbots.”

The trial is expected to last approximately seven weeks and will feature testimony from educators, law enforcement officials, and whistleblowers who may reveal internal company discussions about child safety concerns. While teens and families who have experienced harm on the platforms are not anticipated to take the stand, their experiences will likely be presented through other evidence.

This case could have far-reaching implications for the entire tech industry. If New Mexico prevails, it may open the floodgates for similar lawsuits across the country and force social media companies to fundamentally rethink their platform designs and safety measures. The outcome could also influence pending legislation aimed at protecting children online and potentially lead to significant changes in how tech companies operate.

As the trial unfolds, all eyes will be on Santa Fe, where the intersection of technology, child safety, and corporate responsibility will be debated in one of the most consequential tech trials of the decade.

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