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The state of New Mexico has sued social media giant Meta (META) and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg for "knowingly" exposing children to 'sexual exploitation and mental health harm.'

In a Tuesday court filing, New Mexico’s Attorney General’s (NMAG) Office revealed that it had conducted an undercover investigation, creating fake accounts of minors which were then used to fish for offending content, according to a press release reported by the Daily Caller.

"Meta and its CEO tell the public that Meta’s social media platforms are safe and good for kids," reads the lawsuit. "The reality is far different. Meta knowingly exposes children to the twin dangers of sexual exploitation and mental health harm. Meta’s conduct has turned New Mexico children who are on its platforms into victims. Meta’s motive for doing so is profit."

Meta is accused of  allowing Facebook and Instagram to become "a marketplace for predators in search of children upon whom to prey."

Today, #NMAG Raúl Torrez moved to hold @Meta and Mark Zuckerberg accountable for promoting child pornography and facilitating human trafficking of minors instead of protecting New Mexico’s children.https://t.co/zqS3QEUWsN pic.twitter.com/xirh0ZkD79

— NM Attorney General (@NewMexicoOAG) December 6, 2023

"Our investigation into Meta’s social media platforms demonstrates that they are not safe spaces for children but rather prime locations for predators to trade child pornography and solicit minors for sex," said Democratic New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez in the press release. "As a career prosecutor who specialized in internet crimes against children, I am committed to using every available tool to put an end to these horrific practices and I will hold companies — and their executives — accountable whenever they put profits ahead of children’s safety."

A total of 33 state attorneys general launched a joint lawsuit against Meta related to its platforms’ alleged harmful effects on children, according to a court filing in October. Eight other states and Washington, D.C., launched distinct lawsuits against Meta the same day, according to The Washington Post.

Zuckerberg and other Big Tech CEOs are scheduled to testify about child exploitation in January, according to The Verge. -Daily Caller

"Mark Zuckerberg and Meta … have misled the public and failed to make changes to Meta’s platforms that would protect children and teens," Torrez told the Caller. "In addition to seeking civil penalties to deter Meta from continuing to jeopardize children’s safety, the NMAG is petitioning the court to permanently stop Meta’s harmful practices and demand a change."

The lawsuit comes approximately one week after Meta-owned Instagram allowed pedophiles to search for content with explicit hashtags such as #pedowhore and #preteensex, which were then used to connect them to accounts that advertise child-sex material for sale from users going under names such as "little slut for you." And according to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, Meta accounted for more than 85% of child pornography reports, the Wall Street Journal reported.

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