Meta Platforms has refuted allegations made by U.S. states claiming that it deliberately aimed to make children addicted to its Facebook and Instagram platforms for financial gain as a significant trial began on Tuesday. A bipartisan coalition of 29 U.S. states has filed a lawsuit against Meta, seeking potentially massive financial penalties and alterations to Meta’s business practices.
The lead states, including California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey, have accused Meta of designing Facebook and Instagram to attract young users, leading to increased anxiety, depression, and even suicide, while also deceiving consumers about the safety of the platforms. All 29 states have accused Meta of breaching federal law by improperly collecting and using children’s personal data.
This trial, taking place in a federal court in Oakland, California, has been described by experts as the most significant legal examination of social media’s impact on young users to date. Meta, along with other social media giants like Snap, TikTok parent company ByteDance, and YouTube parent company Alphabet, faces numerous lawsuits from states, municipalities, school districts, and individuals regarding the potential harm their products cause to young users.
During the trial’s opening statements, Megan O’Neill, a deputy attorney general for California, asserted that Meta’s business model focused on engaging and retaining users, collecting their data, and concealing the truth from the public. She highlighted that this strategy was particularly effective with children, emphasizing the company’s need for young users and the importance of assuring their safety.
In response, Meta’s lawyer, Paul Schmidt, acknowledged that some social media users face challenges but pointed out that research has not definitively linked adolescents’ social media usage to diminished well-being. Schmidt stressed that Meta’s co-founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, shares the company’s commitment to enhancing its services and ensuring user safety, rather than making them harmful.
The trial jury is expected to provide a non-binding advisory verdict, which the presiding U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers will consider when determining Meta’s liability. If Meta is found liable, civil penalties and modifications to Facebook and Instagram could be imposed by the judge, with potential penalties reaching up to $1.4 trillion, nearly equivalent to the company’s market value.
Furthermore, the states involved in the lawsuit are advocating for Meta to revamp Facebook and Instagram by eliminating features like likes and infinite scrolling, establishing time restrictions for younger users, and enforcing measures to prevent children under 13 from accessing the platforms.
The trial’s first witness, former Meta safety engineer Arturo Bejar, testified against the company, stating that the company was aware its child safety tools were ineffective. Bejar emphasized Meta’s lax approach to monitoring children under 13 online and criticized the company’s lack of consideration for safety in deploying products like Reels short-form videos.
As the trial progresses, Meta executives, including Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram chief Adam Mosseri, are anticipated to testify. The trial is slated to last approximately six weeks. Following the trial’s commencement, Meta’s stock experienced a decline and closed down at $543.67 US.
Critics of Meta expressed their concerns outside the courthouse as the trial began, with individuals like Mary Rodee, whose son died by suicide after negative experiences on Facebook, highlighting the potential dangers of social media platforms. The lawsuit against Meta originated in 2023 following whistleblower Frances Haugen’s revelations about the company’s knowledge of the harms posed by its products to children.
In a related development, a New Mexico court recently ordered Meta to pay $567 million to address teenagers’ mental health issues, underscoring the growing legal scrutiny facing social media companies over their impact on young users.