New Mexico trial examines Meta's child safety claims

Opening statements begin Monday in New Mexico's trial against Meta, where prosecutors allege the company exposed children to sexual exploitation and misrepresented platform safety; Meta denies wrongdoing.

A trial in Santa Fe will open on Monday in a lawsuit brought by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez against Meta. The case centers on allegations that Meta's platforms exposed children to sexual solicitation and mental health harms and that the company misrepresented the safety of its services. Torrez's team used undercover social media accounts to document solicitations and to test Meta's responses. Meta denies legal violations and has criticized aspects of the state's investigation. Key facts: - The lawsuit was filed in 2023 and accuses Meta of exposing children to sexual exploitation and of violating state consumer protection laws by misrepresenting platform safety. - Prosecutors say they used proxy accounts to document sexual solicitations and the company's handling of reports; Meta has called the probe ethically compromised and disputes the evidence selection. - Opening statements are scheduled to begin Monday; prosecutors plan to present evidence and testimony and may use deposition testimony when in-person testimony from out-of-state witnesses cannot be compelled. - More than 40 state attorneys general have filed related suits against the company, and New Mexico's case is the first state-level case to reach trial. Summary: The trial will determine whether Meta violated state law and whether its platform features contributed to harms to children. Opening statements begin Monday, after which the court will hear evidence and witness testimony; the use of depositions for out-of-state witnesses has been noted as a possible procedural step.