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New Mexico Sues Meta Over Child Exploitation on Facebook and Instagram
State alleges social media giant failed to protect young users from sexual exploitation
Published on Feb. 9, 2026
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Attorneys for the state of New Mexico and Meta made opening statements in a civil trial accusing the social media company of failing to protect children on Facebook and Instagram from sexual exploitation. The state alleges Meta misled the public about the safety of its platforms and the risks to young users' mental health. Meta denies the allegations, arguing it has been transparent about the limitations of its safeguards.
Why it matters
This case highlights growing concerns about the role of social media platforms in enabling the exploitation of minors and the responsibility of tech companies to protect vulnerable users, especially children and teenagers, on their services.
The details
The civil trial, brought by the New Mexico Attorney General, alleges that Meta violated the state's consumer protection laws and misled the public about the safety of its platforms. Attorneys for the state say they will present internal Meta documents and communications showing the company was aware of the scale of child exploitation on its platforms. Meta argues it has been transparent about the risks and limitations of its safeguards.
- The trial began on February 10, 2026 in a Santa Fe, New Mexico courtroom.
- The trial is expected to last approximately seven weeks.
The players
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez
The New Mexico Attorney General who first brought the civil suit against Meta and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg in 2023.
Don Migliori
The attorney representing the state of New Mexico in the trial.
Kevin Huff
One of the attorneys representing Meta in the trial.
Mark Zuckerberg
The CEO of Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.
Meta
The social media company that owns Facebook and Instagram, which is being sued by the state of New Mexico.
What they’re saying
“We believe the evidence in this case is that Meta made its profits, while publicly misrepresenting that its platforms were safe for youth, downplaying or outright lying about what it knows about the dangers of its platforms.”
— Don Migliori, Attorney representing the state of New Mexico (sourcenm.com)
“Meta disclosed the risks to the public. It didn't deceive anyone.”
— Kevin Huff, Attorney representing Meta (sourcenm.com)
“If we can win in this action and force them to make their product safer in this state, it changes the narrative completely about what they say is possible for everyone else.”
— Raúl Torrez, New Mexico Attorney General (sourcenm.com)
What’s next
The trial is expected to continue every Monday through Friday until the end of March 2026. If the state wins, the judge could order Meta to make changes to how its platforms operate in order to better protect young users.
The takeaway
This case underscores the growing scrutiny and legal pressure on social media companies to address the exploitation of minors on their platforms. The outcome could set an important precedent for how tech giants are held accountable for the harms their products can cause to vulnerable populations.
