A landmark trial opened Tuesday in a California federal court with attorneys general from 29 states accusing Meta Platforms of deliberately designing Instagram and Facebook to be addictive for young users while concealing internal research about the harm.
California Deputy Attorney General Megan O'Neill told the court that Meta engineered its platforms to hook children and collect data from users under 13 without parental consent. The states are seeking penalties that could theoretically reach into the trillions of dollars, though plaintiff attorneys have cited a figure around $200 billion. Meta rejected the allegations as baseless, with company lawyer Paul Schmidt arguing there is no clear link between social media and declining youth wellbeing. Former Meta safety engineer Arturo Béjar testified that the company ignored internal warnings about harmful content reaching minors.
US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers will decide the case herself despite a jury being seated. The six-to-eight-week trial follows a recent $567 million judgment against Meta in New Mexico over similar child safety claims. Meta shares fell 4.4 percent on Tuesday.