Meta to face new trial over child-exploitation claims

American technology company Meta is again under scrutiny and is and set to face a new trial over child safety concerns.

Meta is set to face trial next week in a lawsuit brought by the state of New Mexico accusing it of exposing children and teens to sexual exploitation on its platforms and profiting from it, the first case of its kind against the social media giant to reach a jury.

Reuters reports that the lawsuit brought by New Mexico's Democratic Attorney General Raul Torrez alleges that the tech conglomerate promoted illegal content and enabled the sexual exploitation of children on its Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp platforms.

New claims against Meta

The landmark trial lawsuit majorly claimed Meta allowed predators free access to underage users and connected them with victims, often leading to real-world abuse and human trafficking.

The trial, which is set to begin with jury selection on Monday in Santa Fe District Court, is expected to last seven or eight weeks.

Meanwhile, Mark Zuckerberg's company denies the allegations and says it has extensive safeguards in place to protect younger users.

'Operation MetaPhile'

The case grew out of an undercover operation called “Operation MetaPhile," which Torrez, a former prosecutor, and his office ran in 2023.

As part of that effort, investigators created accounts on Facebook and Instagram posing as users younger than 14.

The accounts received sexually explicit material and were contacted by adults seeking similar content, leading to criminal charges against three individuals, according to Torrez's office.

Meta, TikTok, and YouTube previously faced courtroom scrutiny last week over allegations that their platforms are fueling a youth mental health crisis as the national debate about children’s screen time enters a new phase.