Meta Faces Lawsuit for Enabling Predators on its Platforms

The New Mexico Attorney General's office has filed a civil lawsuit against Meta, alleging that the company has created a "marketplace for predators" on Instagram and Facebook. The lawsuit claims that Meta failed to protect children under the age of 13 from using the platforms and targeted susceptible children to increase advertising revenue. The lawsuit follows an investigation in which investigators posed as fictional children on the platforms and found that Meta's algorithms recommended adult sexual content to a 13-year-old account. Meta has not directly responded to the allegations but stated that it uses sophisticated technology and collaborates with child safety experts and law enforcement to combat predators. This lawsuit comes after a complaint filed by 33 states in October, alleging that Meta has created technologies to engage and ensnare youth for profit.