Court in California Starts Landmark Trial Against Meta

A court in California has begun a trial against Meta Platforms that could reshape some global social networking apps. A bipartisan group of 29 US states is suing Meta, stating that the company intentionally sought to addict children to Facebook and Instagram in pursuit of profit.

US states could seek tens or hundreds of billions of dollars in penalties and demand that Meta change the way it does business. California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey accused the company of designing social networks to hook young users, fuel anxiety, depression, and even suicide, and mislead consumers about safety. All 29 states claim that Meta violated US federal law through improper collection and usage of children’s personal data.

Jurors will issue an advisory verdict, while the judge will determine Meta's liability. If the US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers finds Meta liable, she could impose civil penalties and order changes to Facebook and Instagram. Meta stated that penalties could reach even $1.4 trillion, close to the company's market value.

Attorneys general said last week that the amount could be closer to $200 ​billion, about three years of Meta’s net profit. California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey also want Meta to change Facebook and Instagram by eliminating likes and the infinite scroll that encourages views of new posts, setting time limits for younger users, and enforcing restrictions to keep children under 13 offline.