A jury trial involving Meta and 30 U.S. states is scheduled to begin Tuesday to determine if the company’s social media platforms violate privacy laws and contribute to harm among young users. The lawsuit, filed in 2023 by states including California and New York, seeks financial penalties and mandatory changes to the operations of Facebook and Instagram.
The legal action follows years of scrutiny regarding how social media features affect minors. A separate ruling in New Mexico recently fined Meta $942 million and declared the company a "public nuisance," a legal term comparing its impact to environmental pollution. Meta has stated it will appeal that decision and has consistently denied allegations that it intentionally exploits young people.
In the current case, states are seeking upwards of $1 trillion in damages and specific structural changes. These include eliminating "like" counts and infinite scroll for young users, implementing parental verification for teenagers, and removing image filters that alter physical appearance. The states argue that features like autoplay and frequent push notifications are designed to keep children on the apps for as long as possible.
Meta has defended its practices, stating it has a "longstanding commitment to supporting young people." The company noted it has provided more than 2 million documents during the discovery process. Internal research cited in the lawsuit, however, indicated that features like "like" counts could lead to "social comparison," which the research linked to increased loneliness and negative body image among users.
A ruling against Meta would likely lead to the immediate removal of visible "like" counts and the "infinite scroll" feature for users under 18, changes that would be noticeable in the daily digital habits of students and teenagers nationwide. The lawsuit also seeks to ban disappearing posts, known as "Stories," and require parental verification for new accounts. These changes would increase the level of parental oversight and potentially decrease the amount of time young people spend on these platforms by limiting the "dopamine-manipulating" nature of the apps' algorithms.
The outcome of this case could set a legal precedent for how social media companies are held responsible for the mental health of their users. If Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers follows the "public nuisance" precedent set in New Mexico, it may encourage additional litigation against other technology firms regarding platform design and addiction. While the trial begins this Tuesday, a final resolution may take months, and any resulting orders to change platform features would likely face further legal challenges before being implemented nationwide.
Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, a chief federal judge in California, is presiding over the case. She is known for her roles in high-profile technology litigation and will oversee the presentation of evidence regarding Meta’s business growth strategies and their impact on youth mental health.