Current:Home > FinanceFacebook parent sued by New Mexico alleging it has failed to shield children from predators -Wealth Evolution Experts
Facebook parent sued by New Mexico alleging it has failed to shield children from predators
View
Date:2025-04-27 21:42:58
Santa Fe, N.M. (AP) — Facebook and Instagram fail to protect underage users from exposure to child sexual abuse material and let adults solicit pornographic imagery from them, New Mexico’s attorney general alleges in a lawsuit that follows an undercover online investigation.
“Our investigation into Meta’s social media platforms demonstrates that they are not safe spaces for children but rather prime locations for predators to trade child pornography and solicit minors for sex,” Attorney General Raul Torrez said in a (prepared statement Wednesday.
The civil suit filed late Tuesday against Meta Platforms Inc. in state court also names its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, as a defendant.
In addition, the suit claims Meta “harms children and teenagers through the addictive design of its platform, degrading users’ mental health, their sense of self-worth, and their physical safety,” Torrez’ office said in a statement.
Those claims echo a lawsuit filed in late October by the attorneys general of 33 states including California and New York, against Meta that alleges Instagram and Facebook include features deliberately designed to hook children, contributing to the youth mental health crisis and leading to depression, anxiety and eating disorders.
Investigators in New Mexico created decoy accounts of children 14 years and younger that Torrez’ office said were served sexually explicit images even when the child expressed no interest in them. State prosecutors claim that Meta let dozens of adults find, contact and encourage children to provide sexually explicit and pornographic images.
The accounts also received recommendations to join unmoderated Facebook groups devoted to facilitating commercial sex, investigators said, adding that Meta also let its users find, share, and sell “an enormous volume of child pornography.”
“Mr. Zuckerberg and other Meta executives are aware of the serious harm their products can pose to young users, and yet they have failed to make sufficient changes to their platforms that would prevent the sexual exploitation of children,” Torrez was quoted as saying, accusing Meta’s executives of prioritizing “engagement and ad revenue over the safety of the most vulnerable members of our society.”
Meta did not directly respond to the New Mexico lawsuit’s allegations, but said that it works hard to protect young users with a serious commitment of resources.
“We use sophisticated technology, hire child safety experts, report content to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and share information and tools with other companies and law enforcement, including state attorneys general, to help root out predators,” according to a prepared statement adding, “In one month alone, we disabled more than half a million accounts for violating our child safety policies.”
Company spokesman Andy Stone pointed to a company report detailing the millions of tips Facebook and Instagram sent to the National Center in the third quarter of 2023 - including 48,000 involving inappropriate interactions that could include an adult soliciting child sexual abuse material directly from a minor or attempting to meet with one in person.
veryGood! (13)
Related
- B.A. Parker is learning the banjo
- Georgia prison officials in ‘flagrant’ violation of solitary confinement reforms, judge says
- Minnesota Sen. Nicole Mitchell arrested on suspicion of burglary after being found in home
- Emily Henry does it again. Romantic 'Funny Story' satisfies without tripping over tropes
- Tom Holland's New Venture Revealed
- Ritz giving away 24-karat gold bar worth $100,000 in honor of its latest 'Buttery-er' cracker
- Climate change a health risk for 70% of world's workers, UN warns
- You Might've Missed Henry Cavill's Pregnant Girlfriend Natalie Viscuso's My Super Sweet 16 Cameo
- 'Most Whopper
- Rebel Wilson Details Memories of a Wild Party With Unnamed Royal Family Member
Ranking
- Person accused of accosting Rep. Nancy Mace at Capitol pleads not guilty to assault charge
- The Best Fanny Packs & Belt Bags for Every Occasion
- Zoë Kravitz and Channing Tatum Take Their Romance to Next Level With New Milestone
- Abortion returns to the spotlight in Italy 46 years after it was legalized
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Hi Hi!
- Ritz giving away 24-karat gold bar worth $100,000 in honor of its latest 'Buttery-er' cracker
- Montana minor league baseball team in dispute with National Park Service over arrowhead logo
- Climate change a health risk for 70% of world's workers, UN warns
Recommendation
Sonya Massey's father decries possible release of former deputy charged with her death
Jason Kelce scorches Messi, MLS: 'Like Michael Jordan on a golf course.' Is he right?
Zendaya Continues to Ace Her Style Game With Head-Turning Outfit Change
Marvin Harrison Jr. Q&A: Ohio State WR talks NFL draft uncertainty, New Balance deal
Trump issues order to ban transgender troops from serving openly in the military
Kim Kardashian gives first interview since Taylor Swift album, talks rumors about herself
NFL draft has been on tour for a decade and the next stop is Detroit, giving it a shot in spotlight
Georgia prison officials in ‘flagrant’ violation of solitary confinement reforms, judge says