Opening arguments began Tuesday in a federal trial in Oakland, California, where four states are suing Meta Platforms, Inc. The lawsuit, brought by the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey, alleges that the company designed its Facebook and Instagram platforms to be addictive to minors. California Deputy Attorney General Megan O'Neill argued that Meta used algorithms, infinite scroll, and other features to encourage compulsive use while misleading the public about the risks to youth mental health.
The legal action follows years of scrutiny regarding the impact of social media on younger users. Unlike previous cases focused on user-posted content, which is often protected by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, this trial focuses on the physical and psychological design of the platforms. The states also allege that Meta violated the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) by collecting data on users under the age of 13 without obtaining parental consent.
Meta has denied the allegations, stating that the claims are unsubstantiated. In an email to NPR, the company pointed to its existing safety tools, such as enhanced privacy settings for teens and a one-hour daily usage timer on Instagram. Meta’s attorneys are scheduled to present their opening arguments following the states' presentation. The trial is expected to last approximately six weeks and may feature testimony from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and whistleblower Arturo Bejar, a former senior engineer at the company.
The scale of the impact is tied to Meta's massive user base, which the company reported averages 3.6 billion daily users globally. If the court finds Meta liable, the precedent could force social media companies to change their business models to prioritize safety over engagement metrics. This follows recent legal losses for Meta, including a $6 million jury award in Los Angeles for a young woman's mental health harms and a $567 million order in New Mexico regarding child safety failures. A ruling against Meta in this federal case could trigger similar lawsuits from other states or lead to new federal regulations regarding how technology companies design products for children.
What happens next: The trial will continue in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California under Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers. Over the next six weeks, the court will review internal Meta communications and studies that the states claim prove the company prioritized "teen time spent" over user safety. Legal experts anticipate that any final ruling will likely be appealed, potentially reaching the U.S. Supreme Court. Regardless of the immediate verdict, the case establishes a new legal framework for challenging tech companies based on product design rather than hosted content.