Trial against Meta in New Mexico focuses on dangers of child sexual exploitation on social media

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A trial focused on the dangers of child sexual exploitation on social media and whether Meta misrepresented the safety of its platforms is set to start in New Mexico with opening statements Monday.

It's the first stand-alone trial from state prosecutors in a stream of lawsuits against major social media companies, including Meta, over harm to children, and one that is likely to highlight explicit online content and its effects.

New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez sued Meta in 2023. His team built the case by posing as kids through social media accounts, then documenting the arrival of sexual solicitations as well as the response by Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.

Prosecutors say they’ll provide evidence and testimony that Meta’s algorithms and account features enticed and addicted young people to social media, while also creating a “breeding ground” for predators who target children for sexual exploitation. Prosecutors allege Meta failed to disclose what it knew about those harmful effects, in violation of state consumer protection laws. Meta also is accused of creating a public nuisance.

“Meta knowingly exposes children to the twin dangers of sexual exploitation and mental health harm,” the lawsuit states. “Meta’s motive for doing so is profit.”

Meta denies any legal violations and says prosecutors are cherry-picking evidence to make sensationalist arguments. On Sunday, Meta called the state’s investigation “ethically compromised” in its use of child photos on proxy accounts, delays in reporting child sexual abuse material and the disposal of data from devices used in the investigation, in social media posts on X by company spokesperson Andy Stone.

The company says lawsuits are attempting to place the blame for teen mental health struggles on social media companies in a way that oversimplifies matters. Meta says it has a longstanding commitment to supporting young people, highlighting a steady addition of account settings and tools — including safety features that give teens more information about the person they’re chatting with and content restrictions based on PG-13 movie ratings.

“For over a decade, we’ve listened to parents, worked with experts and law enforcement, and conducted in-depth research to understand the issues that matter most," the company said in a statement. “We’re proud of the progress we’ve made."

It's unclear whether Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg will testify at trial. New Mexico limits the ability to compel out-of-state witnesses to testify in person, while prosecutors can present testimony by Zuckerberg from a deposition.

Personal opinions of Zuckerberg and evolving attitudes toward social media loomed over jury selection from a pool of more than 200 residents of Santa Fe County, including several educators, young adults who grew up with social media and others who never signed up.

“Quite frankly, he's the tech bro making money off of all of us," one person said of Zuckerberg.

An attorney for the state warned that there would be “very sensitive and very explicit material discussed in terms of safety to children” during the trial.

More than 40 state attorneys general have filed lawsuits against Meta, claiming it is deliberately designing features that addict children to its platforms. The majority filed their lawsuits in federal court, and New Mexico's case against Meta is the first to reach trial.

Opening statements have been postponed in a bellwether trial underway in California against social video companies, including Meta’s Instagram and Google’s YouTube, that focuses on a 19-year-old who claims her use of social media from an early age addicted her to technology and exacerbated depression and suicidal thoughts. TikTok and Snapchat parent company Snap Inc. settled claims in the case.

Torrez, a Democrat seeking reelection this year to a second term, has urged Meta to implement more effective age verification and remove bad actors from its platform. He’s also seeking changes to algorithms that can serve up harmful material and criticizing end-to-end privacy encryption that can prevent the monitoring of communications with children for safety.

FILE - New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez discusses the nexus of public safety, mental health and adverse child experiences during a news conference following a summit in Albuquerque, N.M., Nov. 3, 2023. (AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan, File)

FILE - Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks during an event at the Biohub Imaging Institute in Redwood City, Calif., Nov. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

FILE -A Meta logo is shown on a video screen at LlamaCon 2025, an AI developer conference, in Menlo Park, Calif., April 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

SEATTLE (AP) — The U.S. women's national team is getting a sneak peek at the grass that has been installed at Lumen Field for this summer's World Cup.

The United States played Japan on Tuesday night on the newly installed hybrid grass, a mix of real grass woven with artificial fibers. The women's team has not been to Lumen since 2017 because of the artificial turf.

In 2022, the collective bargaining agreement that gave the women equal pay to their male national team counterparts also gave the players equitable playing conditions, which included playing only on suitable grass fields.

The United States ended up losing to Japan 1-0. Coach Emma Hayes said that because the field was soaked by rain throughout the match it played “really quick.”

“I think they’ve done a good job with it,” defender Tierna Davidson said. “So hopefully it’ll hold up over the summer and will serve really well for the World Cup.”

Hayes said it was important to bring the national team back to the Pacific Northwest. The announced attendance was more than 36,000, which breaks the record for a standalone women's match in Seattle. Megan Rapinoe's retirement match with the Seattle Reign in 2023 drew 34,130 fans.

“It definitely was one of my aims. I really wanted the opportunity and quite rightly the CBA, we want to be playing on grass fields. So that prohibited that from happening and this opportunity gives us the chance to do that,” Hayes said. “I’m so happy to grab it with both hands and for us to have a record attendance for a women’s game in this area."

FIFA has strict requirements for the fields of play at the World Cup. So every stadium used across Canada, the United States and Mexico for this summer's World Cup will need to have similar grass fields.

There are eight World Cup stadiums, seven in the United States and one in Canada, that have artificial turf. All of the venues, with the exception of Vancouver's BC Place, are home to NFL teams.

In Seattle's case, the work to install the grass began in earnest last month. A drainage system and nearly a foot of sand were laid down before the sod was installed. The grass and the structure underneath will be removed following the World Cup.

“It’s so cool that we get to play on the grass that the World Cup games are getting played on. It’s great that they’re in these huge stadiums,” said forward Ally Sentnor. “It was really wet out there with the rain, but it was really cool to test it out, and it’s going to be fun to see those games in the summer.”

Lumen is home to the NFL’s Seahawks, Major League Soccer's Sounders and the Reign of the National Women’s Soccer League. The Sounders and Reign have been displaced during the installation, playing some matches across the state in Spokane.

The Sounders will play their first match on the new grass on Wednesday when they host Mexican club Tigres in the second leg of a CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal.

Seattle is set to host six World Cup matches starting in June, four in the group-stage and two in the knockout round.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

United States forward Trinity Rodman takes a selfie with a fan after an international friendly soccer match against Japan, Tuesday, April 14, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Japan goalkeeper Akane Okuma makes a save against the United States during the first half of an international friendly soccer match Tuesday, April 14, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)