Home / Crime and Justice / Meta Faces First Stand-Alone Trial in N.M.
Meta Faces First Stand-Alone Trial in N.M.
1 Feb
Summary
- New Mexico's trial uses undercover investigations with proxy accounts.
- State accuses Meta of creating a marketplace for child predators.
- This case tests new legal pathways against social media companies.
Jury selection began Monday in Santa Fe, New Mexico, for the first stand-alone trial brought by state prosecutors against Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. This case is rooted in an undercover investigation that utilized proxy social media accounts posing as children to document instances of sexual solicitations and assess Meta's responses.
New Mexico's legal strategy centers on consumer protection and nuisance laws, potentially offering states a novel approach to hold social media platforms accountable for their effects on minors. Attorney General Raúl Torrez filed the suit in 2023, alleging Meta fostered an environment for predators targeting children and failed to disclose known harmful effects. Meta denies these civil charges, characterizing the state's approach as sensationalist.
The trial, with opening statements scheduled for February 9, 2026, could last nearly two months. Prosecutors assert they are not focused on content but on Meta's algorithms that proliferate potentially addictive and harmful material to children. This strategy aims to navigate protections like Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.
