Meta Platforms has refuted allegations made by a group of 29 U.S. states accusing the company of deliberately aiming to make children dependent on its Facebook and Instagram platforms for financial gain. The ongoing trial, which kicked off on Tuesday, could potentially reshape the landscape of these widely-used apps.
The bipartisan coalition of states is suing Meta, seeking substantial financial penalties amounting to tens or even hundreds of billions of dollars, along with demanding changes to the company’s business practices. Lead states such as California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey have accused Meta of designing Facebook and Instagram to entice young users, leading to increased levels of stress, depression, and, in some cases, suicide. The states have also alleged that Meta violated federal law by inappropriately collecting and utilizing children’s personal data.
Legal experts have described the trial taking place in an Oakland, California federal court as a significant examination of social media’s impact on young users. Meta, along with other major social media companies like Snap, TikTok’s parent company ByteDance, and YouTube’s parent company Alphabet, is facing numerous lawsuits from various entities and individuals over concerns about the potential harm their platforms cause to young users.
During the trial’s opening statements, Megan O’Neill, a deputy attorney general for California, asserted that Meta’s fundamental business strategy revolved around engaging users, retaining them for as long as possible, gathering their data, and concealing the truth from the public eye. She highlighted how this approach particularly targeted children, emphasizing the need for Meta to cater to younger demographics while assuring concerned individuals about the safety of children on their platforms.
Meta’s legal representative, Paul Schmidt, acknowledged that some social media users encounter difficulties but argued that existing research fails to establish a clear connection between adolescents’ social media usage and their well-being. Schmidt emphasized Meta’s commitment to enhancing its services rather than endangering its users, aligning with the intentions of the company’s co-founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg.
The trial proceedings involve a jury that is expected to deliver an advisory verdict, which could inform U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers’ final determination of Meta’s accountability. If Meta is found liable, Judge Rogers could impose financial penalties and mandate alterations to Facebook and Instagram. Meta has disclosed that potential penalties may reach up to $1.4 trillion, a figure close to the company’s market value.
State attorneys general have proposed various changes to Facebook and Instagram, including the elimination of features like likes and infinite scrolling, setting time restrictions for younger users, and implementing measures to prevent children under the age of 13 from accessing the platforms. The trial witnesses, including former Meta safety engineer Arturo Bejar and top executives like Mark Zuckerberg and Adam Mosseri, are anticipated to provide critical testimonies throughout the six-week-long trial.
Critics of Meta gathered outside the courthouse as the trial commenced, with individuals sharing personal stories illustrating the alleged negative impacts of social media platforms on young users. The trial’s outcome is expected to have far-reaching implications for the regulation of social media companies and their responsibilities towards protecting vulnerable users, especially children.
