Meta has rejected allegations in an Oakland federal court that it intentionally designed Facebook and Instagram to addict children to boost profits.
A coalition of 29 US states, supported by both Republicans and Democrats, has taken legal action against the social media giant, seeking penalties that could reach tens or hundreds of billions of dollars alongside structural changes to its platforms.
California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey are leading the lawsuit, arguing that Meta engineered Facebook and Instagram to keep minors perpetually connected. State prosecutors contend this practice has exacerbated youth anxiety, depression, and suicide risks while misleading the public about safety.
All 29 states further allege that Meta violated federal law through the unlawful collection and exploitation of personal data belonging to children.
The proceedings in Oakland, California, represent one of the most significant legal challenges to date concerning the impact of social media on minors. Meta is not alone in facing such allegations, as Snap, ByteDance-owned TikTok, and Alphabet-owned YouTube face thousands of lawsuits from states, municipalities, school districts, and individuals over youth well-being.
Meta Platforms Incorporated, headquartered in Menlo Park, California, is the parent technology conglomerate that owns and operates Facebook and Instagram, two of the largest social networking services globally.
Prosecution opening arguments
California Deputy Attorney General Megan O'Neill told the eight-person jury that Meta operated on a business model designed to addict users, hold them as long as possible, harvest their data, and conceal the truth from the public.
O'Neill stated that the strategy was particularly effective on children, adding that Meta required young users while reassuring caregivers that the platforms were safe.
She clarified that the states are not seeking to drive Meta out of business, acknowledging that social media offers benefits to some people.
However, O'Neill argued that Meta exploited children by conducting research into their brain development and responses to online stimuli while monitoring their app interactions.
She cited an internal email sent to Instagram head Adam Mosseri stating that the company's objective was teen time spent on the applications.
O'Neill told jurors that Meta employees had compared Instagram to a drug and described themselves as dealers, noting internal findings that the younger a child begins using the app, the better.
Defense legal strategy
Meta defense attorney Paul Schmidt acknowledged that some social media users encounter difficulties, but argued that research fails to demonstrate a clear link between teenage social media use and declining mental health.
Schmidt stated that Meta co-founder and chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg shared a commitment to improving services rather than making them dangerous.
He said company executives do not believe they can succeed if users are dissatisfied with their experience.
Addressing private internal communications, Schmidt told jurors that employees might use loose language in private messages, but insisted Meta products are not addictive.
He added that evidence during trial would show what actions were taken by the employee who compared Instagram to a drug in order to enhance user safety.
Financial penalties and platform changes
While the eight jurors will deliver an advisory verdict, US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers will make the final decision on Meta's liability.
If Meta is found liable, Judge Rogers could impose heavy financial penalties and order structural modifications to both Facebook and Instagram.
Meta has cautioned that potential penalties could reach 1.4 trillion dollars, a figure approaching the total market valuation of the Menlo Park company.
State attorneys general stated during a hearing last week that financial penalties are more likely to be near 200 billion dollars, roughly equivalent to Meta's combined net profits after taxes over three years.
Lead states California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey are demanding sweeping operational remedies, including the removal of like buttons and endless scrolling features that encourage continuous consumption.
The states are also seeking mandatory time limits for younger users and strict enforcement mechanisms to block children under 13 from accessing the platforms.
Testimony from former safety engineer
Following opening statements, former Meta safety engineer Arturo Behar took the stand as the first witness called by the state prosecutors.
Behar has long asserted that Meta knew its child protection tools were ineffective, having previously testified against the company in four other legal proceedings.
Meta attempted to block Behar's testimony by arguing that he had deleted Signal messages with former employees, but Judge Rogers rejected the motion to exclude the key witness.
Behar testified to jurors that Meta operated under the motto to move fast and break things, and adopted a don't ask, don't tell policy regarding the presence of children under 13.
He testified that numerous products, including short-form Reels videos, were released worldwide without safety being considered as a factor during initial development.
Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram head Adam Mosseri are also expected to testify during the trial, which is scheduled to run for six weeks.
Following the first day of trial, Meta stock traded lower for most of Tuesday's market session, closing down 4.4 percent at 543.67 dollars.
Demonstrations and legal precedent
Protesters and critics gathered outside the Oakland courthouse as opening statements began.
Among them was Mary Rhody, who stated that her 15-year-old son, Riley Bashford, died by suicide in 2021 after being targeted by an individual who contacted him on Facebook.
Rhody rejected descriptions of the tragedy as a spontaneous suicide, describing it instead as the predictable outcome of a system built to protect corporate interests over children.
The multi-state lawsuit was originally filed in 2023, two years after whistleblower Frances Haugen testified before a US Senate committee.
Haugen had revealed that Meta knew its products posed safety risks to children and possessed the means to make them safer, but chose not to act in pursuit of higher corporate profits.
The trial follows recent legal actions against major technology firms over youth safety.
In March, a Los Angeles court ordered Meta and Google to pay 6 million dollars to a 20-year-old woman who claimed childhood addiction to Instagram and YouTube.
Earlier this month, a New Mexico judge ordered Meta to pay 567 million dollars for teen mental health initiatives after the state attorney general declared the platforms a public nuisance.
Meanwhile, the Tennessee attorney general has filed a separate lawsuit against Meta raising similar claims about Instagram, with proceedings taking place in Nashville.
