Meta seeks to limit evidence in child safety case

Core Viewpoint - Meta is facing a trial in New Mexico for allegedly failing to protect minors from sexual exploitation on its platforms, with the trial set to begin on February 2, 2024 [3]. Group 1: Lawsuit Details - The lawsuit, filed by New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez in late 2023, accuses Meta of allowing explicit material to reach minors and not implementing adequate child safety measures [3]. - This case is notable as it is the first trial of its kind at the state level [3]. Group 2: Legal Strategies - Meta's legal team is attempting to limit the evidence presented in court, seeking to block research on social media's impact on youth mental health, stories linking teen suicides to social media, and any mention of the company's finances or past privacy violations [2][4]. - The company has also requested to exclude discussions about CEO Mark Zuckerberg's college years and a public health warning from former US surgeon general Vivek Murthy regarding social media's effects on youth mental health [5]. Group 3: Expert Opinions - Legal experts have noted that Meta's efforts to restrict information are unusually broad, particularly its requests to exclude mentions of its AI chatbots [4].