Meta Faces Landmark Federal Trial Over Alleged Harm to Children

Opening arguments begin Tuesday in a landmark federal trial against Meta, with 29 U.S. states accusing the technology giant of deliberately designing Facebook and Instagram to be addictive to children and seeking billions of dollars in penalties.

Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, is facing allegations that its platforms were engineered to encourage prolonged use among young people despite concerns about their potential effects on children's mental health and safety.

The case has been described by legal experts as a potential “big tobacco moment” for social media, drawing comparisons with the legal battles that ultimately forced major tobacco companies to acknowledge the health consequences of their products and accept sweeping restrictions.

The states are seeking approximately $200 billion in penalties, according to a lawyer representing the coalition. The figure is significantly lower than the more than $1 trillion in potential penalties that Meta had previously cited in a court filing.

Meta Denies Allegations

Meta has strongly rejected the allegations, arguing that it has worked with parents, health experts and law enforcement to improve protections for young users.

The company maintains that it has introduced safeguards designed to protect children and teenagers and disputes the states' characterization of its products and business practices.

Meta founder and Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg is expected to be among the most prominent witnesses in the trial. Instagram chief Adam Mosseri is also expected to testify.

The proceedings are expected to last approximately six weeks, with a verdict anticipated by October.

States Seek Changes to Facebook and Instagram

The coalition, represented by California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey, first filed its lawsuit against Meta in 2023.

The states' case centers on three principal allegations.

First, they accuse Meta of misleading the public about the potential dangers its platforms pose to minors. Second, they allege that the company deliberately developed features intended to keep young users engaged for longer periods, including screen-time controls that children could allegedly circumvent.

The states also accuse Meta of collecting information from children under 13 without obtaining the required parental consent, potentially violating federal law.

Beyond financial penalties, the coalition is seeking changes to Meta's platforms, including measures aimed at limiting children's screen time and strengthening protections for young users.

Former Meta Engineer to Testify

The trial could also feature testimony from Arturo Bejar, a former Meta engineer who has become a prominent critic of the company's approach to child safety.

U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers rejected Meta's attempt to prevent Bejar from testifying. The judge characterized the company's effort as a “Hail Mary” attempt to eliminate what she considered a strong witness for the states.

An advisory jury of eight people was selected last week, although the judge will ultimately make the final determination in the case.

Zuckerberg's testimony comes roughly six months after a Los Angeles jury found Meta liable in a separate case involving alleged harm to minors. Meta is appealing that decision, as well as another state-court ruling in New Mexico.

A Wider Reckoning for Social Media?

The federal case is being closely watched because it could set the tone for a much broader wave of litigation against major social media companies.

Families, educators and state governments have increasingly accused platforms including TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube of contributing to mental health and safety problems among young people.

Meta, which has more than three billion users worldwide, is the sole defendant in the current federal case.

Stanford law professor Nora Freeman Engstrom told AFP that the trial could mark “the beginning of a broader reckoning” for Meta. A loss could potentially force the company to make significant changes to two of the world's most widely used social media platforms.

Echoes of the Tobacco Industry Battles

Legal experts have drawn comparisons between the case and the U.S. government's decades-long confrontation with the tobacco industry.

Vincent Joralemon, a director at the Berkeley Center for Law and Technology's Life Sciences Law and Policy Center, told AFP that the greatest issue for Meta could ultimately be reputational damage and the prospect of being forced to fundamentally change its products.

The comparison is rooted in the argument that both industries allegedly knew about potential harms associated with their products while continuing business practices designed to maximize consumption.

In 1998, dozens of U.S. states reached a landmark settlement with major tobacco companies after accusing them of concealing or downplaying the health risks of smoking. The agreement imposed financial obligations and restrictions on tobacco marketing.

According to the National Association of Attorneys General, tobacco companies have paid more than $176 billion under the settlement and continue to make substantial annual payments.

The Meta trial could therefore become a defining test of how U.S. courts treat the responsibilities of technology companies toward children—and whether social media platforms will face restrictions comparable to those imposed on other industries accused of putting profits ahead of public health.

The outcome could have consequences far beyond Meta, potentially reshaping how the world's biggest social media companies design, market and operate platforms used by millions of children and teenagers.