Attorney General Raúl Torrez of New Mexico said this week three suspected online child predators were arraigned after a months-long undercover operation state officials called "Operation MetaPhile." The social giant Meta is in the target of officials who say the company isn't doing enough to combat child predators who use its social tools.
Attorney General Torrez said in a statement, "This operation conclusively demonstrates that using Meta's social media platforms not only endangers children in the virtual world but, more importantly, they are spaces that sexual predators actively use to hunt, groom and victimize children in the real world ... ultimately only Mark Zuckerberg and his executive team have the power to make these products safe to use."
New Mexico's Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Meta and Mark Zuckerberg over the platform's policies on protecting children from sexual abuse and human trafficking. That lawsuit is ongoing. State officials say internal documents were uncovered allegedly showing that around 100,000 children each day have been subjected to "sexual harassment on Meta's platforms" which state officials say includes receiving images of adult genitalia.
Last year dozens of states sued Meta for its "addictive features" that officials say target kids.
The complaint said, "Meta has harnessed powerful and unprecedented technologies to entice, engage, and ultimately ensnare youth and teens. Its motive is profit, and in seeking to maximize its financial gains."
New Mexico authorities say Meta is not doing enough to combat child predators on its platform
The state's Attorney General Raúl Torrez said multiple recent arrests were made after three suspected child predators were using Meta's social tools to find children.
![1713551487_ObLJ03.jpg](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/867f491/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1280x720+0+0/resize/1280x720!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fewscripps.brightspotcdn.com%2F05%2Fa8%2F3af37e3c4b96b8843b2d8ff7d2e4%2F1713551487-oblj03.jpg)
Thibault Camus / AP
![1713551487_ObLJ03.jpg](https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/867f491/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1280x720+0+0/resize/1280x720!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fewscripps.brightspotcdn.com%2F05%2Fa8%2F3af37e3c4b96b8843b2d8ff7d2e4%2F1713551487-oblj03.jpg)
Posted
Copyright 2024 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.