U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers has impaneled an advisory jury for a trial involving Meta Platforms, Inc., over allegations that its Facebook and Instagram platforms were designed to be addictive to children. While the jury of five women and three men will hear evidence and deliberate, their verdict is not legally binding. Judge Rogers will ultimately issue the final findings of fact and conclusions of law to resolve the case.
The trial follows a lawsuit brought by 29 state attorneys general alleging that Meta violated federal law by collecting and using children's data. Four states—California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey—further allege that Meta designed its platforms to maintain youth engagement through addictive features and misled the public regarding safety. Meta has denied these claims, stating it has a record of creating strong protections for teenagers.
Meta sought a bench trial, where a judge decides alone, arguing that a jury would be inefficient. However, Judge Rogers ruled in June that an advisory jury was prudent due to the public interest in the case and to help the court understand the "standard of the community." During jury selection on August 12, nearly all prospective jurors expressed the view that social media bears some responsibility for a mental health crisis among teenagers.
For the eight people serving on the advisory jury, the process will require six weeks of court attendance and deliberation, though their day-to-day impact on the legal finality is limited by the judge's discretion. For the public, a verdict against Meta could lead to changes in how social media platforms are designed, how children's data is harvested, and what safety warnings are required for young users. The use of an advisory jury also sets a procedural example for other high-profile technology litigation involving public safety standards.
What happens next depends on the evidence presented starting with opening arguments on Tuesday. While the advisory jury's input will be considered, Judge Rogers will maintain the authority to accept or reject their findings. A similar procedure was used in a recent case involving Elon Musk and OpenAI, where the judge adopted the advisory jury's decision. The trial is expected to last roughly six weeks before a final determination is made by the court.