‘FILTHY’ META SECRET
Pervs target kids: suit
‘Meta has allowed Facebook and Instagram to become a marketplace for predators in search of children upon whom to prey.
— Lawsuit filed by New Mexico Attorney General
Underage Facebook and Instagram users are exposed to adult sex content and disturbing messages from alleged child predators — including “pictures and videos of genitalia” and six-figure offers to star in porn movies, according to a bombshell civil lawsuit filed by the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office.
New Mexico state investigators set up test accounts on the Meta-owned social media sites for four fictional children using AIgenerated photos that purportedly portrayed children aged 14 or younger.
Meta and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg — whose platforms are already under fire for fueling a youth mental health crisis — allegedly failed to adequately protect those underage users from being inundated with the vile content, according to the complaint filed Tuesday in New Mexico state court.
“Meta has allowed Facebook and Instagram to become a marketplace for predators in search of children upon whom to prey,” said the suit, first reported by The Wall Street Journal.
“Meta’s conduct is not only unacceptable; it is unlawful.”
The lawsuit says Zuckerberg, who is named as a codefendant, bears personal responsibility for the app design decisions that have placed children at risk.
Fake profiles
The shocking claims emerged as critics around the country accuse Meta of ignoring risks to young users in favor of profit.
In October, a coalition of 33 state attorneys general sued Meta, alleging it knowingly built addictive features into its apps to the detriment of its young users.
The state of New Mexico’s allegations are similar to details that emerged from a recent Wall Street Journal investigation — where reporters who set up test accounts found that the Instagram Reels video feed recommends “risqué footage of children as well as overtly sexual adult videos” to adult users who follow children.
The accounts were created using adult birth dates — as underage users sometimes do to bypass app age restriction.
In one disturbing example cited in the lawsuit, state investigators set up a test account with the name “Issa Bee” who claimed to be a 13-year-old girl living in Albuquerque.
The fake profile gained more than 6,700 followers on Facebook — most of them being “males between the ages of 18 and 40 years old,” according to the suit.
“On Facebook Messenger, Issa’s messages and chats are filled with pictures and videos of genitalia, including exposed penises, which she receives at least 3-4 times per week,” the lawsuit says. “As the messages come in, she has no means of screening or previewing the messages.”
The “Bee” account also received horrifying sexual propositions from adult users, including one who allegedly “openly promised her $5,000 a week to be his ‘sugar baby,’” the suit said.
When reached for comment by the Journal, Meta did not comment specifically on the lawsuit’s allegations.
“We use sophisticated technology, hire child safety experts, report content to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and share information and tools with other companies and law enforcement to help root out predators,” Meta said in a statement.