SAN FRANCISCO: Twenty-nine US states have taken Meta to court over allegations that the company designed Facebook and Instagram features in ways that encourage addictive use and could harm children and teenagers.
The trial began Tuesday in federal court in California and is expected to last six to eight weeks. Attorneys general from California, Colorado, New Jersey and Kentucky are leading the states’ legal team.
The states filed the lawsuit in October 2023, accusing Meta of violating federal and state laws by collecting data from children under 13 without parental consent.
States seek up to $200 billion in penalties
The 233-page complaint alleges that Meta knowingly declined to disable features that could be harmful to young users because of its focus on generating profits.
The states are seeking as much as $200 billion in penalties, an amount roughly equivalent to Meta’s annual revenue in 2025. They are also asking the court to require changes to the design of Meta’s platforms to make them safer for children.
State attorneys argue that Meta developed features intended to keep users spending more time on its platforms, with children and teenagers particularly vulnerable to their effects.
A jury is expected to hear testimony from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri and former Meta employee Arturo Béjar, who has publicly raised concerns about the company’s practices.
Meta rejects allegations
Meta has rejected the allegations, arguing that the lawsuit is driven by the states’ efforts to obtain billions of dollars rather than by facts or applicable law.
The company said the allegations were unfounded and that the financial demands were inappropriate, adding that the states’ lawyers lacked sufficient evidence to support their claims.
The trial comes after a New Mexico court last week ordered Meta to pay $567 million in a separate case involving allegations that the company harmed children’s mental health and failed to adequately protect young users.
A similar lawsuit is also pending in Tennessee.