Marketplace for predators': Meta faces jury trial over child exploitation claims

"The state alleges that the company knowingly enabled predators to use Facebook and Instagram to exploit children. The trial will introduce evidence that Raul Torrez, the state's attorney general, believes shows how Meta's social networks create dangerous environments for children, exposing them to sexual exploitation, solicitation, sextortion and human trafficking. The lawsuit states that Meta's design choices and profit incentives prioritized engagement over child safety and that it failed to implement effective safeguards."

"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, a Meta spokesperson said. 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. We use these insights to make meaningful changes like introducing Teen Accounts with built-in protections and providing parents with tools to manage their teens' experiences."

Meta faces a landmark jury trial in Santa Fe brought by New Mexico attorney general Raul Torrez alleging that Facebook and Instagram knowingly enabled predators to exploit children. The state will present evidence claiming Meta's design and profit incentives prioritized engagement over child safety, allowed unmoderated groups for commercial sex, and facilitated buying, selling, and sharing of child sexual abuse material and trafficking. Meta denies these claims, emphasizing decade-long efforts with parents, experts, and law enforcement, introducing Teen Accounts and parental tools, and claiming commitment to improving youth safety. The lawsuit cites a Guardian investigation reporting platform struggles to prevent child trafficking.

Read at www.theguardian.com