Torrez alleges Meta allowed predators unfettered access to underage users and connected them with victims, often leading to real-world abuse and human trafficking. The New Mexico filings show senior Meta safety executives expressing that same fear. While messages are encrypted by default, users can still report objectionable messages to Meta for review and possible referral to law enforcement. Safety executives specifically raised the specter of children being groomed on the company's semi-public social media platforms and then exploited on its private messaging services. By contrast, she wrote, Meta’s existing encrypted messaging service WhatsApp was not directly connected to a social media platform and therefore did not carry the same risks.

Source: The Telegraph February 24, 2026 07:48 UTC