Meta Platforms (META.O), opens new tab will face a coalition of state attorneys general in a California federal court trial beginning on Wednesday over claims it engineered Facebook and Instagram to be addictive to children, a case that could expose the company to massive damages and force it to make sweeping changes to its platforms.
The trial in Oakland, expected to last seven weeks, will test Colorado, Kentucky, California and New Jersey’s allegations that Meta designed its platforms to keep young users hooked and misled consumers about their safety. It will also address claims by 29 states that the company illegally collected and used children’s data in violation of federal law.
Jury selection is on Wednesday, with opening statements slated to begin August 18. Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify, as is Instagram head Adam Mosseri.
In terms of potential damages and implications for Meta, the trial is the biggest test yet of youth social media litigation and comes amid a broader reckoning across the globe over social media’s effects on young users.
Meta has said the damages could be as high as $1.4 trillion, near the company’s market cap of $1.5 trillion, though the attorneys general have not publicly disclosed how much they may seek.
The attorneys general of Colorado, Kentucky, California and New Jersey are also asking the judge to issue an order forcing the company to implement age restrictions, eliminate infinite scroll and make other changes to its platforms.
A Meta spokesperson said the company strongly disagreed with the allegations and was confident evidence would show its longstanding commitment to supporting young people.
“We’ve listened to parents, worked with experts and law enforcement, and conducted in-depth research to understand the issues that matter most,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
The states’ lawsuit, which was filed in 2023, stemmed from a multistate investigation into Instagram and Facebook’s impact on young users. The investigation was announced following disclosures by Meta whistleblower Frances Haugen, who testified before a U.S. Senate committee in 2021 that the company knew its products could harm young users and how to make them safer, but chose not to make those changes in favor of pursuing higher profits.
“Meta knows its platforms are harming children and teens but continues to keep kids addicted, as we’ve alleged in our lawsuit,” New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said in a statement ahead of the trial. “Our kids are not data points to be monetized.”
A Reuters/Ipsos poll last week found an overwhelming majority of Americans — 85% — think social media can be addictive for children, with 61% of respondents saying social media companies need firmer oversight.
Meta and other social media companies are facing growing pressure from lawmakers and in the courts. Wednesday’s trial is among thousands of cases filed by states, municipalities, school districts and individuals over allegations that their products harm young users.
Meta has said the flood of litigation could seriously impact its business and financial results.
Trials in the two cases that have already gone to juries resulted in verdicts against Meta, and last week a New Mexico judge ordered the company to pay $567 million and make changes to its platforms after finding the company responsible for fueling a children’s mental health crisis in the state. The company also settled a lawsuit brought by a Kentucky school district that had been slated for trial in June.
Meta has broadly denied the allegations in the cases, saying it has worked to protect children on its platforms. The company has argued it could not have misled consumers about whether its platforms were addictive because “social media addiction” is not a recognized psychiatric condition.
Legal experts said the latest trial could be a pivotal moment for Meta, with recent courtroom losses increasing the pressure on the company.
“Big damage awards and judicial dictates about features both potentially pose existential threats to social media defendants,” said Eric Goldman, a professor and co-director of the High Tech Law Institute at Santa Clara University School of Law.
