New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez alleged in a lawsuit against Meta that the company had become a "breeding ground" for child abuse, according to the BBC.
Raul Torrez, in turn, explained that his office had created several fake accounts, which he was surprised to receive sexual images and "temptations."
He asked the court to order the company to make changes to protect its younger users, claiming it had "refused" to do so voluntarily.
In response, Meta said she worked hard to root out and restrict accounts that abuse children.
But New Mexico said its investigators' searches revealed that some types of child exploitative material were "ten times" more prevalent on Facebook and Instagram than on porn sites.
State investigators reported groups and accounts sharing child pornographic content with the company without any impact, according to the filing.
“Our investigation into Meta’s social media platforms shows that they are not safe spaces for children, but are prime sites for fraudsters to trade child pornography and lure minors for sex,” Attorney General Torrez said.
It is noteworthy that American law protects companies from liability for content published on their platforms.
But the New Mexico lawsuit said Meta's recommendations meant it was not merely acting as a publisher.