A lawsuit filed against Facebook’s parent company, Meta Platforms META, and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, centers on whether the social media giant is doing enough to protect the safety of children.
What Happened: Unredacted documents from a lawsuit filed by the New Mexico Department of Justice, allege that Meta knew about a large amount of inappropriate and sexually explicit content on its platforms, according to a report from TechCrunch.
Meta owns Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and Threads.
The documents also claim that Meta may have intentionally marketed its messaging platforms to children.
Facebook Messenger and direct messaging on Instagram were listed as items that failed to protect underage users in the document.
The documents reveal that Meta employees had previously raised concerns over the company’s private messaging services. However, Meta failed to put in place certain safeguards due to concerns over profitability, plaintiffs claim.
"For years, Meta employees tried to sound the alarm about how decisions made by Meta executives subjected children to dangerous solicitations and child exploitation," New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez told TechCrunch.
Torrez said Meta and Zuckerberg allowed child predators to exploit children on platforms owned by the company.
"Meta executives, including Mr. Zuckerberg, consistently made decisions that put growth ahead of children's safety. While the company continues to downplay the illegal and harmful activity children are exposed to on its platforms, Meta's internal data and presentations show the problem is severe and pervasive."
A 2016 presentation showed that Meta brass was concerned that social media users preferred to spend time on rival platforms (i.e., Snapchat and YouTube). A plan to "win over" new teenage users was launched, the lawsuit claims.
One case in the documents saw an executive oppose Facebook Messenger scanning for harmful content as it could be a "competitive disadvantage vs other apps who might offer more privacy."
Meta responded to TechCrunch. The Menlo Park, California-based company insists that it takes the safety of children seriously.
"We want teens to have safe, age-appropriate experiences online, and we have over 30 tools to support them and their parents. We've spent a decade working on these issues and hiring people who have dedicated their careers to keeping young people safe and supported online," a Meta spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added that the complaint used selective quotes and cherry-picked documents.
Related Link: Want To Use TikTok, Instagram Or Twitter? You Might Have To Get Your Parent To Sign A Permission Slip
Why It's Important: The New Mexico Department of Justice originally filed the complaint in December. It is one of several potential legal issues Meta faces related to its social media platforms.
The New Mexico DOJ blasted Meta’s platforms as "a marketplace for predators in search of children upon whom to prey."
Meta also faces another lawsuit. Forty-two state attorneys general allege that Meta’s platforms can have a potential negative impact on a child’s mental health.
Certain companies have called on Meta to change its approach to advertising. Walmart Inc WMT and Match Group Inc MTCH claim Meta placed their ads near inappropriate content.
Several states have considered legislation to ban or limit social media time for children. Lawsuits like the above against Meta Platforms could increase attention on the issues and see more states join the cause.
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