A trial that could have a decisive impact on how Instagram and Facebook operate has begun in Oakland, California, with 29 U.S. states taking action against Meta, accusing it of knowing that its platforms could be addictive and harm the mental health of minors, but concealing the risks in favor of profit. The company categorically rejects the allegations.
The case, which is expected to last six to eight weeks, is considered the most significant legal test to date in the U.S. regarding the impact of social media on young people. Among others, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram head Adam Mosseri are expected to testify in court.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
“Meta Needed the Kids”
The 233-page lawsuit was initially filed in October 2023 and is a joint initiative by 29 state attorneys general. California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey are leading the lawsuit.
In her opening statement, California’s Deputy Attorney General, Megan O’Neill, argued that Meta did not assume its fair share of responsibility for protecting children.
According to her, the company’s business model was to “hook users, keep them as long as possible, collect their data, and then hide the truth from the public.”
“It worked particularly well with children,” she said, arguing that “Meta needed children” and at the same time had to reassure parents and those concerned about their safety.
The states argue that internal documents to be presented at trial prove that the company was aware of the risks. Among the phrases O’Neill cited are “the younger, the better” and “teens are addicted, regardless of how it makes them feel. Instagram is addictive.”
In another internal message to Moseri, according to the prosecution, the goal was cited as the amount of time teenagers spend on the platform, while employees reportedly likened Instagram to a “drug” and themselves to “dealers.”
“They knew,” O’Neill said. “Time and again, they reaped the profits.”
Likes, endless scrolling, and notifications take center
stage The attorneys general accuse Meta of developing and refining a series of “psychologically manipulative” features with the aim of maximizing the time users spend on its apps.
At the center of the allegations are infinite scroll, the recommendation algorithm, constant notifications, “likes,” and filters that allow users to alter their appearance.
According to the prosecution, children and adolescents are particularly vulnerable to these mechanisms, while excessive use of social media is linked to increased incidence of depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and other mental health issues.
California Attorney General Rob Bonda argued that there is evidence showing that Meta is aware that Instagram is harmful to a significant percentage of adolescents, including teenage girls. He also accused the company of being aware of cases of self-harm and eating disorders, as well as the compulsive way in which teenagers interact with the “like” button.
“Meta chose profits over user safety,” he argued, calling the company’s conduct unlawful and pointing out that it had both a legal and a moral obligation to create safe products for minors.
A Teenager’s Suicide and the Families’
Allegations Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser cited the case of a mother who was in court whose teenage had taken her own life following “prolonged exposure to and interaction with” content on social media.
According to him, the teenager spent many hours online, watching videos that were harmful to her, and she reportedly received online advice not to talk to her parents about her mental state.
Critics of Meta protested outside the courthouse. Among them was Mary Roddy, whose 15-year-old son, Riley Basford, committed suicide in 2021 after, as she claims, he had fallen victim to an online “predator” on Facebook.
Meta rejects the allegations
. Meta denies that it intentionally designed its platforms to be addictive for children. The company’s attorney, Paul Schmidt, argued that the internal emails and documents presented by the states have been taken out of context.
As he said, there is no dispute that some social media users face problems; however, according to him, research has not proven a clear link between teenagers’ use of social media and their reduced well-being.
He further argued that Meta has conducted studies aimed at determining how it can better support teenagers, and has deactivated more than one million accounts belonging to children under the age of 13.
The company accused the states of, instead of focusing “on the facts or the law,” they are seeking excessive financial compensation and characterized their claims as disproportionate and unsubstantiated.
From $200 billion to $1.4 trillion – What’s at
stake The financial stakes are enormous. The attorneys general have estimated that the fines could reach approximately $200 billion, while Meta has estimated that, based on how potential penalties are calculated, the amount could even reach $1.4 trillion.
Most importantly, however, the states are calling for changes to the very design of Facebook and Instagram. Among other things, they are calling for features such as “likes” and “infinite scroll” to be removed for minors, that time limits on usage be set, and that more effective restrictions be implemented so that children under 13 cannot use the platforms.
The jury is expected to issue an advisory verdict, but the final decision on Meta’s liability will be made by U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who, if she finds the company liable, may impose financial penalties and require changes to how the platforms operate.
The states’ first witness is Meta’s former safety engineer and whistleblower Arturo Behar, who has argued for years that the company knew its child protection tools were not working effectively.
The “model” of lawsuits against tobacco
companies This particular trial is part of a much broader legal battle. Families, school districts, states, and individuals have filed thousands of lawsuits against Meta and other social media companies, such as TikTok, Snap, and YouTube.
Just two weeks before the trial began, a judge ordered Meta to pay $567 million in New Mexico in a similar case, bringing the company’s total financial liability in the state to $942 million. A similar trial is also underway in Tennessee.
In March, a Los Angeles court ordered Meta and Google to pay $6 million to a 20-year-old woman who claimed she became addicted to Instagram and YouTube as a child. Meanwhile, in California, thousands of coordinated lawsuits have been filed against Meta, YouTube, TikTok, and Snap, while other cases have been settled out of court.
This strategy directly echoes the class-action lawsuits against the U.S. tobacco industry in the 1990s, which focused on the addictive nature of cigarettes and whether the companies were aware of the harm they caused. Those cases culminated in 1998 in a settlement of approximately $200 billion and significant changes in marketing practices.
Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman stated that the states are following exactly this precedent, seeking to prove that “Meta concealed what it knew about the harm its products cause to young people.”
“We did it with the tobacco settlement in the 1990s. We did it with the companies behind the opioid crisis. We’ll do it again with Meta,” he said.
