New Mexico Judge Grants Mark Zuckerberg’s Request To Be Dropped From Child Safety Lawsuit

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico – On Thursday, a New Mexico court approved Mark Zuckerberg’s plea to dismiss a lawsuit alleging that his firm failed to protect adolescent users of its social media platforms from sexual exploitation.

The lawsuit is one of several brought by governments, school districts, and parents against Meta and its platforms because of worries about child abuse. Beyond courtrooms across the United States, the issue has been the subject of congressional hearings as legislators and parents become increasingly concerned about the impact of social media on young people’s lives.

Attorney General Raúl Torrez filed a lawsuit against Meta and Zuckerberg late last year after an undercover web probe in New Mexico.

Zuckerberg | AP News image

New Mexico Judge Grants Mark Zuckerberg’s Request To Be Dropped From Child Safety Lawsuit

While granting Zuckerberg’s request, Judge Bryan Biedscheid denied Meta’s plea to dismiss the state’s claims, which Torrez called a critical milestone in the lawsuit against the social media giant.

“For decades, Meta Platforms have prevented nearly every legal challenge against them from proceeding,” Torrez stated. “Today, the New Mexico Department of Justice ended that era, and this is the first case in which a state attorney general has raised child sexual exploitation claims, which can now be addressed.” “All social media platforms that harm their users should be put on notice.”

Separately, the attorneys general of 33 states, including California and New York, claimed in late October that Instagram and Facebook have elements that are purposely meant to entice youngsters and contribute to a teenage mental health crisis.

The state’s arguments that Zuckerberg should continue to be a party to the New Mexico action didn’t convince Biedscheid, but that position might change as the case against Meta develops.

Torrez’s office will continue to consider whether Zuckerberg should be identified individually.

Zukerberg | PixaBay Image

New Mexico Judge Grants Mark Zuckerberg’s Request To Be Dropped From Child Safety Lawsuit

During the hearing, Meta’s attorneys contended that prosecutors could not establish that the firm had specifically directed its activities to New Mexico citizens, implying that the company might be held guilty under personal jurisdiction. They stated that the platforms are available worldwide and that users agree to the terms of service when they sign up.

Prosecutors told the judge that New Mexico is not attempting to hold Meta liable for its content but rather for its part in disseminating that content via complicated algorithms that generate sensational, addictive, and hazardous material.

Serena Wheaton, an assistant attorney general in the consumer protection division, stated that the issue concerns the design features and how consumers interact.

Torrez announced accusations against three males earlier this month for allegedly targeting and soliciting sex with youngsters through Meta’s social media sites. The arrests resulted from a months-long undercover investigation in which the accused used fake accounts set up by the state Department of Justice.

The probe began in December, when the state launched its case against the firm.

Zuckerberg | Pixa Bay Image

New Mexico Judge Grants Mark Zuckerberg’s Request To Be Dropped From Child Safety Lawsuit

Torrez blamed Meta officials, including Zuckerberg, for the arrests, claiming that the firm prioritized profits over parents’ and children’s best interests.

Meta has denied the charges, claiming that it uses technology to prevent suspicious adults from locating or connecting with children and teenagers on its apps and collaborates with law authorities to investigate and prosecute criminals.

According to prosecutors in New Mexico’s lawsuit, internal papers show that Meta workers estimate that around 100,000 children are sexually harassed on the company’s platforms every day.

SOURCE – (AP)