Meta Platforms has denied allegations made by several U.S. states that it deliberately aimed to create dependency among children on its Facebook and Instagram platforms for financial gain as a pivotal trial began on Tuesday. A coalition of 29 U.S. states is taking legal action against Meta, seeking potential penalties amounting to tens or even hundreds of billions of dollars, along with demanding changes to Meta’s business practices.
The lead states involved in the lawsuit, including California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey, have accused Meta of intentionally designing Facebook and Instagram to engage young users excessively, leading to increased levels of anxiety, depression, and, in some cases, suicide. They have also accused Meta of breaching federal regulations by improperly gathering and utilizing children’s personal data.
The ongoing trial in the federal court in Oakland, California, is regarded by experts as a significant legal examination of the impact of social media on young individuals. Meta, alongside other social media giants like Snap, TikTok’s parent company ByteDance, and YouTube’s parent company Alphabet, faces numerous legal challenges from states, local authorities, educational institutions, and individuals questioning whether their platforms are detrimental to young users.
During the trial’s opening statements, Megan O’Neill, a deputy attorney general from California, asserted that Meta’s business strategy revolved around engaging users, retaining their attention, collecting their data, and concealing the truth from the public. She emphasized the company’s focus on attracting and retaining young users, highlighting the need to assure concerned individuals about the safety of children on their platforms.
Contrary to the accusations, Meta’s attorney, Paul Schmidt, acknowledged that some social media users encounter difficulties but stressed that research findings do not definitively link adolescents’ social media usage to diminished well-being. Schmidt underscored that Meta’s co-founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, prioritizes enhancing services rather than posing risks to users.
The trial’s outcome is pivotal as it could result in significant changes to Facebook and Instagram if Meta is found liable. The presiding U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers will ultimately determine Meta’s accountability based on the jury’s advisory verdict. Potential penalties could amount to a substantial sum, with Meta estimating as high as $1.4 trillion US, nearly equivalent to the company’s market value in Menlo Park, California.
Furthermore, the states involved in the lawsuit are advocating for fundamental alterations to Facebook and Instagram, including the elimination of features like likes and infinite scrolling, setting time restrictions for younger users, and enforcing measures to prevent children under 13 from accessing the platforms.
The trial also witnessed the testimony of Arturo Bejar, a former Meta safety engineer, who served as the first witness for the states. Bejar highlighted Meta’s lax approach towards child safety tools and its indifference to monitoring the online activities of children under the age of 13. He revealed that product safety was often overlooked during the development and deployment of features, such as Reels short-form videos.
The trial is expected to continue for six weeks, with anticipated testimonies from Mark Zuckerberg and Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram. Meta’s stock experienced a decline throughout the trial proceedings, closing at $543.67 US, down by 4.4% on Tuesday.
Critics of Meta gathered outside the courthouse to voice their concerns as the trial commenced. Among them was Mary Rodee, who attributed her son’s tragic suicide to his online experiences on Facebook. The legal dispute, initiated in 2023 following revelations by whistleblower Frances Haugen, underscores growing concerns about social media platforms’ impact on young users and their mental well-being.
In a separate development, a New Mexico court recently ordered Meta to pay $567 million US to address mental health issues among teenagers linked to its platforms. Similar legal actions are underway in other states, including Tennessee, underscoring the widespread scrutiny over social media practices and their effects on vulnerable user groups.