New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez has filed an amended complaint against Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, alleging that it deceived companies by allowing their ads to appear alongside sexually explicit or violent content. The lawsuit, originally filed in December 2023, accused Meta of creating an environment that facilitates human trafficking, grooming, and solicitation of children. Meta responded by highlighting its efforts to remove accounts and content that violate child safety policies. However, the new complaint argues that Meta’s claims of creating safe and positive experiences for advertisers are deceptive.
Match Group’s Disturbing Discovery
The amended complaint provides evidence of emails and letters exchanged between Meta and two advertisers. Match Group, the owner of popular dating apps Tinder and Hinge, sought assurances from Meta that their ads would not be displayed alongside content targeted at minors or posts that were explicit or illegal. However, Match discovered in November that their ads appeared alongside videos of young girls, including one of them in a provocative pose on a motorcycle. Videos depicting violent acts against women were also shown next to Match’s ads. Match CEO Bernard Kim directly contacted Mark Zuckerberg about the issue, but received no response.
Walmart’s Complaints
Walmart also lodged complaints against Meta after news reports revealed that Facebook had displayed ads next to inappropriate content. Despite Meta’s assurances that the presence of illicit sexual content on its platforms was minimal, an investigation by The Wall Street Journal found that Walmart’s ads were shown next to a video of a woman exposing herself. The attorney general’s complaint argues that Meta is unwilling to take the necessary steps to ensure the safety of its sites for both children and business partners.
In response to the allegations, a Meta spokesperson refuted the claims and emphasized the company’s commitment to eliminating such content from its platforms. The spokesperson stated that Meta invests billions in safety measures and regularly reports on the prevalence of violating content, which remains very low.
The complaint by Attorney General Torrez also alleges that Meta serves explicit material to underage users, directs them to unmoderated Facebook groups facilitating commercial sex, and allows the distribution of child pornography on its platforms. Meta, on the other hand, maintains that it devotes significant resources and collaborates with external organizations to combat child abuse content.
Zuckerberg, along with the CEOs of X, Snap, TikTok, and Discord, is expected to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on January 31 regarding online child sexual exploitation.
Source link: F5mag.com