Meta and Child Online Safety

Opening statements in New Mexico v. Meta are set to begin Monday, moving the case from jury selection into the nation’s first stand‑alone state trial accusing Meta of enabling child sexual exploitation, a theory Attorney General Raúl Torrez has publicly framed as testing the company’s responsibility for those harms. Meta has mounted a public counterattack—spokesperson Andy Stone posted on X that the state’s undercover investigation was "ethically compromised" over its use of child photos, reporting delays and device‑data disposal—and says its safety features (PG‑13 content restrictions and tools to reveal more about who teens are chatting with) reduce risks. Prosecutors are expected to rely on Mark Zuckerberg’s deposition because New Mexico’s ability to compel him to testify live is limited, and jury selection revealed strong juror opinions about Zuckerberg and social media.