A New Mexico judge has ruled to remove Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg from a lawsuit alleging that the company failed to protect young users from child sexual abuse content.
According to the Associated Press, the decision came on Thursday after Zuckerberg's request to be dropped from the lawsuit was granted.
Child Exploitation Lawsuit Against Meta in New Mexico Continues Despite Removal of Mark Zuckerberg
The lawsuit, brought by Attorney General Raúl Torrez, is part of a broader effort by various states, school districts, and parents to hold Meta accountable for child exploitation on its platforms.
The New Mexico case emerged from an undercover investigation, and it mirrored claims from other states that Meta's platforms, Instagram and Facebook, employ features allegedly designed to induce addiction in children and exacerbate mental health issues.
Judge Bryan Biedscheid, however, said that the evidence presented did not justify keeping Zuckerberg as a defendant, though this could change as the case against Meta progresses.
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The Side of Meta
The judge dismissed Meta's motion, asking to dismiss the state's claims even though he granted Mark Zuckerberg's request to be removed from the lawsuit.
Meta's attorneys previously argued during the hearing that the company's activities were not specifically directed at New Mexico residents as they challenged the state's jurisdiction.
They said the platforms were available worldwide and that each user agreed to the terms of service when they signed up. The Attorney General's office said it will continue to evaluate whether to reinclude Zuckerberg based on future evidence.
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