New Mexico prosecutors allege Meta prioritized profit, even as child abuse surged on Instagram and Facebook
Meta is facing a reckoning over its child safety practices as a trial surfaces fresh allegations that the company prioritized profit incentives and engagement over protecting children.
The landmark trial in New Mexico has now completed its fifth week, with the state attorney general resting the case on 5 March. Proceedings are expected to continue for another week as Meta presents its defense before the jury begins deliberations.
Central to the case are internal company documents obtained by the attorney general’s office during discovery, including emails between Meta executives flagging urgent issues of exploitation on Facebook and Instagram.
“Data shows that Instagram had become the leading two-sided marketplace for human trafficking,” stated one email to Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, sent from a member of Meta’s product team in 2019, which was read in court.
