New Mexico lawsuit accuses Meta of failing to protect children from sexual exploitation online
This story raises questions about governance, accountability, and American values.
Big Tech looked away, and the courts will make it right. That framing is satisfying, but it skips the harder question of what safety looks like in a free society where platforms, parents, and prosecutors all have roles. Meta deserves scrutiny, yet lawsuits alone can turn into performative regulation that rewards attorneys more than children.
New Republican Times Editorial Board
Meta is on trial in New Mexico to answer allegations that its social media platforms enable predators to target children for sexual exploitation. The case is one of a series of lawsuits nationwide accusing social media companies of not doing
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New Republican Times Editorial Board
Big Tech looked away, and the courts will make it right. That framing is satisfying, but it skips the harder question of what safety looks like in a free society where platforms, parents, and prosecutors all have roles.
Meta deserves scrutiny, yet lawsuits alone can turn into performative regulation that rewards attorneys more than children. Conservatives worry about accountability without censorship, where “protecting kids” becomes a pretext for sweeping speech controls or backdoor surveillance that hits ordinary families.
The clearer priority is rule of law and public trust: enforce existing child-exploitation statutes, compel meaningful cooperation with investigators, and demand transparent reporting on moderation and referral practices. Pair that with parental responsibility and real tools that default to safer settings for minors.
If our institutions are serious, the principle is simple: protect children through enforceable standards and targeted prosecution, not vague mandates that grow government while leaving predators a step ahead.
Commentary written with AI assistance by the New Republican Times Editorial Board.