Meta trial over social media addiction in children begins in California

Consensus Summary

A landmark trial against Meta Platforms began in Oakland, California, in October 2023, with 29 state attorneys general accusing the company of designing Facebook and Instagram to addict children and harm their mental health. The lawsuit, filed in a 233-page complaint, alleges Meta violated federal and state laws by collecting data on children under 13 without parental permission and prioritizing profits over user safety. The trial, expected to last six weeks, features testimony from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri, along with whistleblower Arturo Béjar, who revealed internal research showing 51% of teens reported harmful experiences on Instagram. The attorneys general are seeking up to $200 billion in damages, while Meta has warned of potential penalties as high as $1.4 trillion, though the judge dismissed this as 'unreasonable'.

The trial follows years of scrutiny over social media’s impact on young users, including testimony from whistleblower Frances Haugen in 2021 and recent court rulings against Meta. In March, a Los Angeles jury ordered Meta and Google to pay $6 million to a 20-year-old woman for addiction to Instagram and YouTube, while a New Mexico judge in February mandated $567 million in payments to a mental health fund for teenagers, bringing Meta’s total payments to that state to $942 million. The lawsuit draws parallels to the 1990s tobacco litigation, where states sued companies for misleading advertising and public health harms, ultimately securing a $200 billion settlement. The attorneys general leading the case—California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey—are using a similar legal strategy to force Meta to change its business model and platform design.

Key figures in the trial include Megan O’Neill, a California deputy attorney general, who argued Meta’s business model—'hook, hold, harvest, and hide'—was particularly effective on children. O’Neill cited internal Meta documents, including one stating 'the young ones are the best ones' and another acknowledging Instagram’s addictive nature. Meta’s defense, led by attorney Paul Schmidt, countered that the company has taken steps to protect teens, such as disabling over 1 million accounts of children under 13, and that the allegations are unsubstantiated. Zuckerberg and Mosseri are expected to testify, while Béjar’s testimony highlighted Meta’s failure to address child safety despite his direct communications with Zuckerberg, who reportedly ignored his warnings. The jury’s advisory verdict will guide Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in determining Meta’s liability and potential penalties.

While ABC and Guardian outlets agree on the core claims and key figures, they differ in emphasis. ABC focuses on the trial’s immediate stakes, including the $6 million March ruling and Meta’s $1.4 trillion penalty warning, while Guardian articles frame the case as part of a broader reckoning with social media’s addictive design, comparing it to the tobacco litigation. Guardian also highlights Meta’s algorithm as the central issue, suggesting changes could reduce engagement and advertising revenue. Both sources note the trial’s potential to reshape social media, but Guardian emphasizes the existential threat to Meta’s business model, while ABC underscores the financial penalties and regulatory pressure. The trial’s outcome could set a precedent for thousands of pending lawsuits against Meta, TikTok, Snap, and YouTube.

The trial’s unresolved questions include whether the jury will find Meta liable for designing addictive products and whether Judge Rogers will impose structural changes to Facebook and Instagram, such as age restrictions or algorithm modifications. Meta’s legal team has dismissed the claims as disproportionate, arguing the company has already implemented protections for teens. Meanwhile, the attorneys general are pushing for a settlement that would force Meta to alter its platforms, much like the tobacco industry was compelled to change its marketing practices in the 1990s. The trial’s duration and the jury’s advisory role mean the final decision rests with Judge Rogers, who will determine both liability and the scope of any penalties or reforms. If Meta is found liable, the fallout could extend beyond the U.S., with global regulators like the EU also scrutinizing the company’s practices.