Meta wants to limit the evidence in child protection cases

Meta is about to be sued in New Mexico, accused of not doing enough to protect children from sexual abuse on its platforms. As the court date approaches, Meta’s lawyers are working hard to minimize the potential use against the company in court.

According to public records reviewed by WiredThe company wants to ban research related to social media on the mental health of young people, issues of suicide among young people linked to social media, any mention of Meta money, the company’s privacy violations, and things related to the college years of CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

This effort is part of a a case issued by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez in late 2023. The state is accusing Meta of failing to protect minors from online predators, commercials, and sexual abuse on its platforms. The lawsuit alleges that Meta allowed pornographic material to reach children and did not implement adequate child protection measures.

In particular, the trial is considered to be the first of its kind in the state, which should begin on February 2.

It is common for Meta to try to keep the case as low as possible. However, two legal experts who spoke to Wired believe that his attempts to keep the information private are extensive, including his requests not to name his AI chatbots.

In addition, Meta asked the court to ban any mention of the public health warning issued by former US doctor Vivek Murthy about the effects of television on the health of young people. The company also does not require research (including its own) about the amount of inappropriate content on its platforms. It says that all of this information is useless or would mislead the jury.