Mark Zuckerberg Foto Alex Wong/Getty Images
The lawsuit was filed by the state prosecutor’s office, which claimed that the mechanisms of work of services, including Facebook and Instagram, created conditions in which abusers could interact with children, writes WashingtonPost. During the proceedings, the results of a covert investigation were presented: law enforcement officers registered fake accounts of teenagers and recorded incoming messages of a sexual nature.
According to the prosecution, the company knew about the existing risks, but did not take sufficient measures to eliminate them. It was also alleged that the recommendation algorithms could have facilitated unwanted contacts by indirectly connecting minors with potentially dangerous users.
Meta representatives rejected the allegations and announced their intention to challenge the decision. The company emphasized that it invests significant resources in security and the development of tools to identify infringers, but acknowledged the difficulty of effectively controlling such threats.
The trial was part of a broader trend of increasing pressure on technology companies in the US. Regulators and courts are increasingly looking not only at user-generated content, but also at the architecture of the platforms themselves – including their design and algorithms – as a factor in potential harm.
It is expected that further stages of the case could lead to additional sanctions and liabilities for the company, including changes in the operation of services and funding for programs to protect children online.
