Four states launched a high-stakes legal battle against Meta in a California courtroom Tuesday, accusing the tech giant of engineering its platforms to captivate young users while concealing the dangers from parents and the public. The opening arguments mark the start of a trial that could reshape how social media companies design products for minors.
California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey are spearheading a coalition of 29 states that allege Meta deliberately built features on Facebook and Instagram to exploit the developing brains of teenagers, keeping them engaged for commercial gain. In her opening statement, California Deputy Attorney General Megan O'Neill painted a stark picture: "Meta hooked kids on its platforms by taking advantage of how their brains work." She added, "Meta held on to those kids because it needed them to make money in the long run. Meta harvested kids' data, tracked their behavior, sent them ads to keep them hooked. And Meta hid the truth to keep the cycle going."
Meta's legal team countered that the allegations are baseless and represent an attempt to blame the company for industry-wide challenges, particularly around age verification. "It's a challenge across the entire industry," said Paul Schmidt, Meta's lawyer, urging the jury to "keep an open mind and wait for the full evidence."
The trial, expected to last six weeks, is the latest in a wave of litigation against social media giants over youth safety. Historically, tech companies have relied on Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act to shield themselves from liability for third-party content. However, O'Neill argued the states are not targeting user-generated content but Meta's own conduct. "We are holding Meta responsible for its own conduct, what Meta did and didn't say, what Meta did and didn't do, the choices that Meta made," she said.
The stakes are enormous. Reports indicate the states are seeking roughly $200 billion in damages, though Meta has suggested in court filings that penalties could theoretically reach $1.4 trillion. High-profile witnesses, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram head Adam Mosseri, are expected to testify, along with current and former employees and industry experts.
A key figure in the case is Arturo Béjar, a former senior engineering and product leader at Facebook, who testified as the states' first witness on Tuesday. Béjar, who has been a vocal critic of Meta's safety practices, claimed the company has adopted a "don't ask, don't tell" approach to underage users. Meta had attempted to bar his testimony, alleging he failed to preserve Signal chats, but the judge denied the motion, calling it a "Hail Mary" attempt to "eliminate a strong witness."
The trial follows a string of recent legal setbacks for Meta. In March, a California jury found Meta and YouTube negligent in their platform design, ordering $6 million in combined damages. Meta also faces $942 million in fines in New Mexico for violating that state's Unfair Practices Act. Additionally, Meta settled a social media addiction case with a Kentucky school district in May, just before trial, and a minor's lawsuit in Los Angeles was dropped after settlements with other platforms.
This case comes amid broader scrutiny of tech companies' influence on youth, with some politicians and regulators pushing for stricter oversight. The outcome could set a precedent for how states hold platforms accountable for design choices that allegedly harm minors, potentially influencing future litigation and legislation.
