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SANTA FE, N.M. — <\/span>A trial focused on the dangers of child sexual exploitation on social media and whether Meta<\/a> misrepresented the safety of its platforms is set to start in New Mexico with opening statements Monday.<\/p>\n It’s the first stand-alone trial<\/a> from state prosecutors in a stream of lawsuits against major social media companies, including Meta, over harm to children, and one that is likely to highlight explicit online content and its effects.<\/p>\n New Mexico Attorney General Ra\u00fal Torrez sued Meta in 2023. His team built the case by posing as kids through social media accounts, then documenting the arrival of sexual solicitations as well as the response by Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.<\/p>\n Prosecutors say they\u2019ll provide evidence and testimony that Meta\u2019s algorithms and account features enticed and addicted young people to social media, while also creating a \u201cbreeding ground\u201d for predators who target children for sexual exploitation. Prosecutors allege Meta failed to disclose what it knew about those harmful effects, in violation of state consumer protection laws. Meta also is accused of creating a public nuisance.<\/p>\n \u201cMeta knowingly exposes children to the twin dangers of sexual exploitation and mental health harm,\u201d the lawsuit states. \u201cMeta\u2019s motive for doing so is profit.\u201d<\/p>\n Meta denies any legal violations and says prosecutors are cherry-picking evidence to make sensationalist arguments. On Sunday, Meta called the state\u2019s investigation \u201cethically compromised\u201d in its use of child photos on proxy accounts, delays in reporting child sexual abuse material and the disposal of data from devices used in the investigation, in social media posts on X by company spokesperson Andy Stone.<\/p>\n The company says lawsuits are attempting to place the blame for teen mental health struggles on social media companies in a way that oversimplifies matters. Meta says it has a longstanding commitment to supporting young people, highlighting a steady addition of account settings and tools \u2014 including safety features that give teens more information about the person they\u2019re chatting with and content restrictions based on PG-13 movie ratings.<\/p>\n \u201cFor over a decade, we\u2019ve listened to parents, worked with experts and law enforcement, and conducted in-depth research to understand the issues that matter most,” the company said in a statement. \u201cWe\u2019re proud of the progress we\u2019ve made.”<\/p>\n It’s unclear whether Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg<\/a> will testify at trial. New Mexico limits the ability to compel out-of-state witnesses to testify in person, while prosecutors can present testimony by Zuckerberg from a deposition.<\/p>\n Personal opinions of Zuckerberg and evolving attitudes toward social media loomed over jury selection from a pool of more than 200 residents of Santa Fe County, including several educators, young adults who grew up with social media and others who never signed up.<\/p>\n \u201cQuite frankly, he’s the tech bro making money off of all of us,” one person said of Zuckerberg.<\/p>\n An attorney for the state warned that there would be \u201cvery sensitive and very explicit material discussed in terms of safety to children\u201d during the trial.<\/p>\n More than 40 state attorneys general have filed lawsuits<\/a> against Meta, claiming it is deliberately designing features that addict children to its platforms. The majority filed their lawsuits in federal court, and New Mexico’s case against Meta is the first to reach trial.<\/p>\n Opening statements have been postponed in a bellwether trial underway in California against social video companies, including Meta\u2019s Instagram and Google\u2019s YouTube, that focuses on a 19-year-old who claims her use of social media from an early age addicted her to technology and exacerbated depression and suicidal thoughts. TikTok and Snapchat parent company Snap Inc. settled claims<\/a> in the case.<\/p>\n Torrez, a Democrat seeking reelection this year to a second term, has urged Meta to implement more effective age verification and remove bad actors from its platform. He\u2019s also seeking changes to algorithms that can serve up harmful material and criticizing end-to-end privacy encryption that can prevent the monitoring of communications with children for safety.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n