Meta Platforms has denied the allegations made by a coalition of 29 U.S. states that it deliberately aimed to create addiction in children using its Facebook and Instagram apps for financial gain as a significant trial began on Tuesday. The states are pursuing significant penalties and changes in Meta’s business practices through the lawsuit.
California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey, as the leading states in the lawsuit, accused Meta of engineering Facebook and Instagram to engage young users, resulting in mental health issues and deceptive safety claims. The coalition accused Meta of breaching federal laws by mishandling children’s personal data.
The trial in the federal court in Oakland, California, is being viewed as a pivotal legal examination of social media’s impact on young users, with Meta and other social media giants facing numerous lawsuits over the harm their platforms allegedly cause to young individuals.
During the trial’s opening statements, Megan O’Neill, a deputy attorney general for California, asserted that Meta’s strategy was centered around engaging users, extracting their data, and concealing the truth from the public, particularly targeting children. O’Neill emphasized that Meta relied on children and needed to assure their safety to concerned individuals.
Meta’s attorney, Paul Schmidt, acknowledged the challenges faced by some social media users but highlighted that research did not definitively link adolescents’ social media use to diminished well-being. He emphasized that Meta and its CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, prioritize service improvement and user safety.
The jury is expected to provide an advisory verdict, which the judge, Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, will consider in determining Meta’s liability. If Meta is found liable, civil penalties and alterations to Facebook and Instagram could be mandated, with suggested penalties reaching as high as $1.4 trillion.
The states involved in the lawsuit are advocating for fundamental changes to Facebook and Instagram, including removing features like likes and infinite scrolling, setting time restrictions for young users, and ensuring stricter controls for children under 13. The trial is anticipated to span six weeks, with testimonies from key figures like Mark Zuckerberg and Adam Mosseri.
Former Meta safety engineer Arturo Bejar testified as the states’ initial witness, alleging that Meta was negligent in providing effective child safety measures and had a lax approach to monitoring underage users’ online activities. The trial also revealed internal communications portraying Instagram as a “drug” and Meta employees as “pushers.”
Outside the courthouse, Meta’s critics voiced their concerns, with one parent attributing her son’s suicide to his negative experiences on Facebook. The lawsuit, initiated in 2023 following whistleblower Frances Haugen’s revelations, has gained momentum, with previous legal actions against Meta for similar concerns.
In a separate development, a New Mexico court recently ordered Meta to pay $567 million to address mental health issues among teenagers, further highlighting the ongoing legal challenges facing the tech giant. Tennessee’s attorney general has also filed a lawsuit against Meta, echoing similar grievances about Instagram’s impact, with the case currently underway in Nashville.
