Meta denied allegations that it intentionally designed Facebook and Instagram to addict children for profit, as a trial brought by 29 US states began in Oakland, California.
States allege deliberate design to hook young users
A bipartisan coalition of states is seeking potentially tens or hundreds of billions of dollars in penalties and business changes from Meta. Four lead states - California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey - accused the company of designing its platforms to hook young users, contributing to anxiety, depression and suicide, and misleading the public about their safety. All 29 states allege Meta violated federal law by improperly collecting children's data.
Reuters reports that California deputy attorney general Megan O'Neill told the eight-person jury that Meta's business model was built to 'hook the users, hold them for as long as they can, harvest their data, and then hide the truth'. She said an internal email to Instagram chief Adam Mosseri identified 'teen time spent' as a goal, and that employees privately described Instagram as a 'drug'.
Meta says no clear link to harm
Meta's lawyer, Paul Schmidt, said research does not show a clear connection between adolescent social media use and reduced well-being, and that CEO Mark Zuckerberg wants the company's products to be safe rather than harmful. Schmidt acknowledged employees sometimes used 'loose' internal language but said Meta's products are not addictive.
Judge to decide liability; penalties could reach $1.4 trillion
Jurors will issue an advisory verdict, but US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers will determine Meta's liability and could order civil penalties and platform changes, including eliminating likes and infinite scroll, imposing time limits for younger users, and blocking children under 13. Meta has estimated potential penalties at up to $1.4 trillion, while state attorneys general have suggested a figure closer to $200 billion.
First witness testifies on internal safety culture
Former Meta safety engineer Arturo Bejar, the states' first witness, told jurors that 'move fast and break things' was a company mantra, and that Meta took a 'don't ask, don't tell' approach to underage users. Zuckerberg and Mosseri are expected to testify during the six-week trial. Meta shares closed down 4.4 percent.
