Meta Platforms is set to face a coalition of state attorneys general in a major California federal court trial over allegations that Facebook and Instagram were designed to keep children and teenagers engaged and that the company misled users about platform safety.
The trial begins Wednesday in Oakland and is expected to continue for 7 weeks. Colorado, Kentucky, California and New Jersey are leading allegations that Meta designed its platforms to be addictive for young users. The case will also examine claims from 29 states that Meta illegally collected and used children’s data in violation of federal law.
Jury selection is scheduled for Wednesday, with opening statements expected on August 18. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram head Adam Mosseri are expected to testify.
The case could have major financial and operational consequences for Meta. The company has said potential damages could reach $1.4 trillion, close to its $1.5 trillion market value. The attorneys general have not publicly stated the amount they may seek.
The states are also asking the court to require Meta to introduce age restrictions, remove infinite scrolling and make other changes to its platforms.
Meta has rejected the allegations and said it is confident that evidence will demonstrate its efforts to support young users.
“We’ve listened to parents, worked with experts and law enforcement, and conducted in-depth research to understand the issues that matter most,” a Meta spokesperson said.
The lawsuit was filed in 2023 following a multistate investigation into Facebook and Instagram’s impact on young users. The investigation followed disclosures by Meta whistleblower Frances Haugen, who told a US Senate committee in 2021 that the company knew its products could harm young users and had information on how to make them safer.
“Meta knows its platforms are harming children and teens but continues to keep kids addicted, as we’ve alleged in our lawsuit,” New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said. “Our kids are not data points to be monetized.”
A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 85% of Americans believe social media can be addictive for children, while 61% said social media companies need stronger oversight.
The trial comes as Meta and other platforms face thousands of lawsuits over alleged harm to young users. Meta has already faced adverse jury verdicts in 2 cases, while a New Mexico judge recently ordered the company to pay $567 million and make changes to its platforms.
Meta has maintained that it has taken steps to protect children and has argued that “social media addiction” is not a recognised psychiatric condition.
Legal experts say the latest case could become a significant test for Meta. “Big damage awards and judicial dictates about features both potentially pose existential threats to social media defendants,” said Eric Goldman, a professor at Santa Clara University School of Law.
A US court on Monday rejected Meta’s attempt to delay the trial and halt thousands of other related lawsuits.
US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers will oversee the case and is expected to issue her decision after the trial concludes in October. She has also appointed an advisory jury to provide findings on specific questions that may guide her ruling.
The states are seeking nationwide changes, including age restrictions, removal of algorithms and AI models created using children’s data, limits on notifications and infinite scrolling, changes to content recommendation systems and strict time limits for young users.
The lawsuit is among more than 3,000 federal cases involving Meta, Snap, Alphabet’s YouTube and TikTok parent ByteDance. More than 3,300 additional cases, largely brought by individuals, are pending in Los Angeles state court.
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