Meta Faces Landmark Jury Trial Over Alleged Child Exploitation on Social Media

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is facing a significant jury trial in New Mexico beginning February 2026, accused of enabling child exploitation on its platforms. The New Mexico attorney general, Raúl Torrez, alleges that Meta knowingly allowed predators to use its social networks to sexually exploit children, including through solicitation, sextortion, and human trafficking. The lawsuit contends that Meta’s platform design and profit-driven engagement strategies prioritized user activity over child safety, resulting in dangerous environments for minors. Evidence presented is expected to include internal documents revealing Meta’s awareness of widespread online sexual harassment affecting approximately 100,000 children daily on Facebook and Instagram. The state also accuses Meta of permitting unmoderated groups focused on commercial sex and facilitating the distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

This trial follows a 2023 Guardian investigation exposing Meta’s struggles to prevent child trafficking on its platforms, which has been cited multiple times in the lawsuit. Torrez has described Meta as the "largest marketplace for predators and paedophiles globally." Meta denies wrongdoing, emphasizing its decade-long efforts to protect young users, including introducing Teen Accounts with built-in protections and parental controls. The company criticizes the attorney general’s arguments as sensationalist and selective. However, a judge denied Meta’s attempts to dismiss the case based on Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and First Amendment protections, noting that the lawsuit focuses on Meta’s internal product design decisions rather than user-generated speech.

The New Mexico trial coincides with another high-profile case in Los Angeles, where hundreds of families and schools are suing Meta, Snap, TikTok, and YouTube over alleged harms to children, including addiction and mental health issues. While Snap and TikTok have settled, Meta and YouTube remain in court. Experts suggest these trials could mark a turning point in holding social media companies accountable, akin to past legal actions against tobacco and pharmaceutical industries.

Key witnesses in the New Mexico case are expected to include educators, law enforcement officials, and whistleblowers who will testify about observed harms and internal company practices. Notably, Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg has already been deposed, with portions of his testimony potentially played in court. The attorney general’s office has disclosed fresh allegations, such as Meta profiting from ads placed alongside content sexualizing children and ignoring safety staff warnings about AI chatbots that could engage minors in sexually explicit conversations. Internal communications reportedly show Zuckerberg personally deciding against parental controls for these AI features.

One striking piece of evidence involves "Operation MetaPhile," a 2024 investigation where undercover agents posing as children were solicited for sex by suspects using Meta’s platforms. Despite increased suspicious activity, Meta reportedly failed to shut down the agents’ accounts and instead provided guidance on account monetization. These revelations underscore the lawsuit’s claim that Meta’s platform design and policies have facilitated child exploitation. The trial, expected to last about seven weeks, will be closely watched as it may influence future regulatory and legal approaches to social media safety and corporate responsibility.