Attorney General claims Facebook is a hub for child predators in new lawsuit
Attorney General Alleges Facebook Has ‘Become a Marketplace for Predators in Search of Children’ in New Lawsuit
A new civil suit filed by the New Mexico attorney general’s office claims that Instagram and Facebook have transformed into platforms that provide opportunities for child predators to engage with children.
The suit, which follows a previous one filed by numerous attorneys general in October, accuses Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta empire of the same offenses.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the lawsuit, filed on Tuesday, alleges that Zuckerberg himself is responsible for creating an unsafe environment for children on Instagram.
The suit argues that the platform prioritizes advertising profits over the safety of its young users.
Officials at the New Mexico attorney general’s office were able to demonstrate that Meta intentionally places children in vulnerable positions online by creating fake accounts posing as teenagers and preteens.
These false accounts were immediately inundated with inappropriate sexual content, as reported by the Journal.
Not only were the accounts bombarded with explicit content, but they were also targeted by adults.
The suit states that Meta’s algorithms recommended sexual content to these accounts and that they received explicit messages and sexual propositions from other users.
One of the accounts created by investigators, using the name Issa Bee, a 13-year-old girl from Albuquerque, attracted thousands of adult followers who sent invitations to join private chat groups and shared explicit content featuring both children and adults.
Similar results were found on Facebook Messenger, which is available for children, according to the report.
The New Mexico attorney general’s office created four accounts posing as children, two as young girls and two as young boys.
All four accounts received troubling solicitations from adults, despite using false birth dates.
The suit concludes that Facebook and Instagram have become platforms where predators search for children, and the platform’s features do not prevent this dangerous interaction.
When asked for comment, Meta did not directly address the lawsuit but claimed to prioritize the protection of children on its platforms.
A statement from the company stated that they use advanced technology, employ child safety experts, report content to relevant authorities, and collaborate with other companies and law enforcement to combat predators.
In October, a similar lawsuit filed by multiple attorneys general across the country alleged that Meta prioritizes profits over the well-being of children who are at risk of exploitation by adults.
The suit also claimed that Instagram’s algorithms are designed to keep children on the platform for extended periods, potentially harming their psychological and emotional well-being.
The post Attorney General Alleges Facebook Has ’Become a Marketplace for Predators in Search of Children’ in New Lawsuit appeared first on The Western Journal.
What specific safety measures did Meta allegedly fail to implement to protect young users from harmful and inappropriate content?
R users, including adults posing as teenagers or young adults.
The attorney general, Hector Balderas, asserts that Facebook and Instagram have become a marketplace for predators in search of children, enabling them to easily connect and exploit vulnerable youth.
The lawsuit alleges that Meta intentionally disregarded the safety and well-being of young users to maximize profits from advertising. The emphasis on generating profits resulted in inadequate measures to protect children from harmful and inappropriate content.
To support their claims, the New Mexico attorney general’s office conducted an investigation and discovered that Meta creates fake accounts posing as teenagers and preteens. These fabricated profiles were immediately exposed to explicit sexual content. The lawsuit contends that the algorithms used by Meta’s platforms actively recommended sexual content to these accounts, exasperating the situation and putting children at greater risk.
Furthermore, not only were these fake accounts subjected to explicit content, but they also attracted the attention of adults seeking to engage in inappropriate interactions with minors. The suit highlights that the explicit messages and sexual propositions received by the fake accounts came from other users, including adults masquerading as teenagers or young adults.
With these findings, the lawsuit seeks to hold Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta empire accountable for its alleged negligence and failure to adequately protect young users. It calls for stricter regulations and improved safety measures to prevent child exploitation on Instagram and Facebook.
The attorney general’s office in New Mexico is not the first to take legal action against Meta regarding the safety concerns surrounding their platforms. Numerous attorneys general joined forces in October to file a previous lawsuit highlighting similar issues.
The allegations against Facebook and Instagram are deeply troubling, as these platforms are widely used by millions of children around the world. It is imperative that social media companies prioritize the safety of their young users and take immediate action to address these concerning allegations.
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