Jury selection commenced Wednesday morning in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in Oakland, marking the start of a high-stakes trial that consolidates lawsuits filed by attorneys general from across the country against Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.
The lawsuit, originally filed in 2023, accuses Meta of engineering and deploying platform features that deliberately encourage "excessive use" among teenagers and younger children. The complaint further alleges that the company misrepresented the mental and physical health risks associated with its products and routinely collected personal data from users under the age of 13 without obtaining parental consent.
In the legal filing, state attorneys general assert that "Meta has harnessed powerful and unprecedented technologies to entice, engage and ultimately ensnare youth and teens." They contend that the company "has concealed the ways in which these platforms exploit and manipulate its most vulnerable consumers: teenagers and children," and that it "has ignored the sweeping damage these platforms have caused to the mental and physical health of our nation's youth."
While the original complaint involved 29 states, this month's trial will only cover the claims brought by the first four states: California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey. The remaining states' cases are expected to proceed in subsequent trials.
Meta has pushed back against the allegations. In a statement provided to The Hill on Wednesday, a company spokesperson said, "We strongly disagree with these allegations and are confident the evidence will show our longstanding commitment to supporting young people." The spokesperson added, "We've listened to parents, worked with experts and law enforcement, and conducted in-depth research to understand the issues that matter most. We're proud of the progress we've made, and we're always working to do better."
The trial's start follows a Monday decision by an appeals court that denied Meta's request to dismiss the case. In a related development, the same appeals court declined to dismiss thousands of other online safety lawsuits against social media firms, ruling that Meta and TikTok had appealed the cases prematurely. That ruling effectively clears the way for mass litigation over alleged social media addiction.
This case is part of a broader wave of legal challenges facing major tech platforms over their impact on minors. The outcome could have significant implications for how social media companies design their products and handle data privacy for younger users.
As the trial unfolds, observers will be watching closely to see how the evidence presented influences public perception and potential legislative action. The federal trial over youth addiction claims is expected to last several weeks, with testimony from experts, former Meta employees, and possibly internal company documents.
