Current:Home > FinanceNew Mexico judge grants Mark Zuckerberg’s request to be dropped from child safety lawsuit-LoTradeCoin
New Mexico judge grants Mark Zuckerberg’s request to be dropped from child safety lawsuit
View Date:2024-12-23 16:44:27
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A New Mexico judge on Thursday granted Mark Zuckerberg’s request to be dropped from a lawsuit that alleges his company has failed to protect young users from exposure to child sexual abuse material.
The case is one of many filed by states, school districts and parents against Meta and its social media platforms over concerns about child exploitation. Beyond courtrooms around the U.S., the issue has been a topic of congressional hearings as lawmakers and parents are growing increasingly concerned about the effects of social media on young people’s lives.
In New Mexico, Attorney General Raúl Torrez sued Meta and Zuckerberg late last year following an undercover online investigation. The civil lawsuit echoed the claims of those levied in late October by the attorneys general of 33 states — including California and New York — that Instagram and Facebook include features deliberately designed to hook children and contribute to the youth mental health crisis.
Judge Bryan Biedscheid said he wasn’t persuaded by the state’s arguments that Zuckerberg should remain a party to the New Mexico lawsuit, but he noted that could change depending on what evidence is presented as the case against Meta proceeds.
Torrez’s office said it will continue to assess whether Zuckerberg should be named individually in the future.
Attorneys for Meta had argued during the hearing that prosecutors would not be able to establish that the company had specifically directed its activities to New Mexico residents, meaning there would be personal jurisdiction for which the company could be held liable. They said the platforms are available worldwide and that users agree to the terms of service when signing up.
The judge disagreed, dismissing the company’s motion to dismiss the state’s claims.
Prosecutors told the judge that New Mexico is not seeking to hold Meta accountable for its content but rather its role in pushing out that content through complex algorithms that proliferate material that can be sensational, addictive and harmful.
The design features and how people interact with them are the issue, said Serena Wheaton, an assistant attorney general in the consumer protection division.
Earlier this month, Torrez announced charges against three men who were accused of using Meta’s social media platforms to target and solicit sex with underage children. The arrests were the result of a monthslong undercover operation in which the suspects connected with decoy accounts set up by the state Department of Justice.
That investigation began in December around the time the state filed its lawsuit against the company.
At the time of the arrests, Torrez placed blame on Meta executives — including Zuckerberg — and suggested that the company was putting profits above the interests of parents and children.
Meta has disputed those allegations, saying it uses technology to prevent suspicious adults from finding or interacting with children and teens on its apps and that it works with law enforcement in investigating and prosecuting offenders.
As part of New Mexico’s lawsuit, prosecutors say they have uncovered internal documents in which Meta employees estimate about 100,000 children every day are subjected to sexual harassment on the company’s platforms.
veryGood! (47)
Related
- 25 monkeys caught but more still missing after escape from research facility in SC
- Biden to deliver Oval Office address on Israel and Ukraine on Thursday
- Hollywood’s actors strike is nearing its 100th day. Why hasn’t a deal been reached and what’s next?
- United Airlines will board passengers by window, middle, then aisle seats
- Are Ciara Ready and Russell Wilson Ready For Another Baby? She Says…
- Texas releases another audit of elections in Harris County, where GOP still challenging losses
- Week 8 college football expert picks: Top 25 game predictions led by Ohio State-Penn State
- AP Week in Pictures: North America
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, 4G
- Man accused of bringing guns to Wisconsin Capitol now free on signature bond, can’t possess weapons
Ranking
- Black women notch historic Senate wins in an election year defined by potential firsts
- Teen reaches $1.9 million settlement after officer shot him in gun battle with bank robbery suspect
- Jax Taylor and Shake Chatterjee's Wild House of Villains Feud Explained
- Marte hits walk-off single in ninth, D-backs beat Phillies 2-1 and close to 2-1 in NLCS
- 'Dangerous and unsanitary' conditions at Georgia jail violate Constitution, feds say
- Israeli mother recounts being held hostage by Hamas with her family, husband now missing
- Hundreds feared dead in Gaza hospital blast as Israeli, Palestinian officials trade accusations
- Corn Harvests in the Yukon? Study Finds That Climate Change Will Boost Likelihood That Wilderness Gives Way to Agriculture
Recommendation
-
Pistons' Ausar Thompson cleared to play after missing 8 months with blood clot
-
Hollywood actors strike nears 100th day. Why talks failed and what's next
-
In big year for labor, California Gov. Gavin Newsom delivers both wins and surprises
-
Apple introduces a new, more affordable Apple Pencil: What to know
-
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has a long record of promoting anti-vaccine views
-
Israel-Hamas war fuels anger and protests across the Middle East amid fears of a wider conflict
-
2 Kansas prison employees fired, 6 punished after they allegedly mocked and ignored injured female inmate
-
Gaza under Israeli siege: Bread lines, yellow water and nonstop explosions