USA: New Mexico lawsuit against Meta over alleged failure to protect children from sexual exploitation begins
Brett Jordan, Unsplash
"‘Marketplace for predators’: Meta faces jury trial over child exploitation claims”, 2 February 2026
Meta’s second major trial of 2026 over alleged harms to children begins on Monday.
The landmark jury trial in Santa Fe pits the New Mexico attorney general’s office against the social media giant. The state alleges that the company knowingly enabled predators to use Facebook and Instagram to exploit children…
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 cherrypicking 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. We’re proud of the progress we’ve made, and we’re always working to do better.”…
After a week of jury selection, opening statements are set to begin on 9 February, followed by the presentation of evidence. The proceedings are expected to last about seven weeks…