Meta seeks to limit evidence in New Mexico child safety trial

Meta is preparing for a trial in the U.S. state of New Mexico, scheduled to begin on February 2. The company faces accusations of failing to protect minors from online predators, trafficking, and sexual abuse on its platforms. The legal proceedings stem from a lawsuit filed in late 2023 by Raúl Torrez, the New Mexico attorney general—the state’s top law enforcement official. In the suit, Meta is accused of not doing enough to protect kids from sexual exploitation on its platforms. Specifically, the state claims that Meta allegedly allowed explicit material to reach minors and did not put adequate child safety measures in place.

Ahead of the trial, Meta’s legal team is working to limit the scope of the evidence that can be introduced. According to public records reviewed by the publication Wired, the company wants to block research about social media’s impact on youth mental health, as well as stories about teen suicides linked to social media. Meta is also seeking to prevent the jury from hearing about the company’s finances, its past privacy violations, and details regarding the college years of its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg.

Additionally, Meta requested that the court block any mention of a public health warning issued by Vivek Murthy, the former U.S. surgeon general—the nation’s leading public health spokesperson—regarding the effects of social media on youth mental health. Meta argues that this information is irrelevant and could unfairly sway the jury.

While it is standard practice for corporate defendants to try to narrow the focus of a trial, legal experts who spoke to Wired reported that Meta’s attempt to keep out information is unusually broad. Because this lawsuit is considered the first trial of its kind at the state level, the court’s rulings on these evidentiary requests will likely establish important boundaries for how tech platforms are held accountable in future child safety litigation.

Why it matters

This lawsuit is the first trial of its kind at the state level, setting a potential precedent for how tech platforms are held accountable for child safety allegations.