Meta Platforms has denied allegations made by a group of 29 U.S. states that it deliberately aimed to create addiction among children using its Facebook and Instagram platforms for financial gain. The trial, which commenced on Tuesday, could have significant implications for some of the most widely used apps globally.
The states, representing both political parties, are suing Meta and are seeking substantial financial penalties, potentially reaching billions of dollars, along with demanding changes in Meta’s operational practices. California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey, as leading states among the plaintiffs, have accused Meta of intentionally designing Facebook and Instagram to engage young users in ways that lead to negative mental health impacts and deceive consumers about the platforms’ safety. All 29 states have accused Meta of breaching federal laws by inappropriately collecting and utilizing children’s personal information.
Legal experts consider the trial, taking place in a federal court in Oakland, California, as a significant test of the influence of social media on young users. Meta, along with other social media giants like Snap, TikTok’s parent company ByteDance, and YouTube’s parent company Alphabet, faces numerous lawsuits from various entities and individuals questioning the harmful effects of their products on young users.
In her statement to the jury, Megan O’Neill, a deputy attorney general for California, asserted that Meta’s fundamental business strategy focused on engaging users, retaining their attention, extracting their data, and concealing the truth from the public. She highlighted that this strategy was particularly effective with children, emphasizing Meta’s need for young users while assuring concerned individuals of the children’s safety.
Meta’s legal representative, Paul Schmidt, acknowledged that some social media users encounter challenges, but he argued that existing research does not definitively establish a direct link between adolescents’ social media usage and their well-being. He emphasized that Meta’s co-founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, shares the company’s commitment to enhancing its services rather than endangering users.
The trial jury is expected to provide a non-binding advisory verdict, which the presiding U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers will consider while determining Meta’s culpability. If Meta is found liable, potential outcomes may include civil penalties and mandated alterations to Facebook and Instagram. Meta has indicated that penalties could amount to as much as $1.4 trillion, nearly equal to the company’s market value in Menlo Park, California.
During a recent hearing, state attorneys general suggested that the penalties could be around $200 billion, roughly equivalent to three years of Meta’s post-tax profits. The leading states in the lawsuit also seek significant changes to Facebook and Instagram, such as removing features like likes and infinite scrolling, imposing time restrictions on younger users, and implementing measures to prevent children under 13 from accessing the platforms.
The trial witnesses are set to include Mark Zuckerberg and Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram. The trial is scheduled to span six weeks, and Meta’s stock prices experienced a decline, closing down by 4.4% on Tuesday.
The proceedings began with the testimony of former Meta safety engineer Arturo Bejar, who acted as the states’ initial witness. Bejar has previously asserted that Meta was aware of the ineffectiveness of its child safety tools and has testified against the company in multiple trials. Despite Meta’s attempts to prevent Bejar from testifying due to alleged deletion of messages, the judge dismissed this effort, allowing his crucial testimony to proceed.
Bejar highlighted Meta’s corporate culture of “move fast and break things,” indicating a lack of vigilance in monitoring whether children under 13 were using the platform. He mentioned that safety considerations were often overlooked in the development and deployment of products like Reels short-form videos.
Critics of Meta gathered outside the courthouse as the trial commenced, with individuals like Mary Rodee, who tragically lost her son to suicide linked to social media victimization, expressing their grievances. The lawsuit, initiated in 2023 following whistleblower Frances Haugen’s revelations about Meta’s awareness of product risks to children, has gained momentum with recent legal actions and court orders against the tech giant.