Meta faces $1.4T trial over social media addiction
What's the story
Meta is heading to trial this week, facing a lawsuit over social media addiction and other alleged harms caused by its apps. The case comes as part of a larger wave of lawsuits against the company, which has been criticized for its approach to user safety and the impact of its platforms on teenagers' mental health. The trial will take place in federal court in Oakland, California after Meta's last-ditch attempt to get it dismissed was rejected last week.
Testimony details
Trial could see testimony from top Meta officials
The trial could see testimony from top Meta officials, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram chief Adam Mosseri.
The case stems from a 2023 lawsuit filed by several states against Meta. They accused the company of deliberately designing addictive features and violating consumer protection laws.
This came after a multi-state investigation into the company's safety practices that allegedly revealed serious harms to children and teens.
Misleading claims
Claims against Meta in the upcoming trial
Federal Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers will hear claims from California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey that Meta violated state consumer protection laws by intentionally misleading the public about the safety of its apps.
These states and 25 others are also suing Meta for allegedly violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
They claim that despite knowing Instagram and Facebook had users under 13 years old, Meta collected data on them without consent.
Penalty potential
Stakes are high for Meta
The stakes are high for Meta, as the company is already facing thousands of other lawsuits accusing it of harming users.
In a court filing before the trial, Meta said states were seeking penalties as high as $1.4 trillion. However, Judge Rogers has already indicated that number is "unreasonable."
Company stance
What has been the response from Meta?
Meta has denied the states' claims and argued that the proposed penalties are based on incorrect calculations.
"The State AGs may call this a landmark case, but their limited claims are unsubstantiated and their financial demands are vastly disproportionate," a company spokesperson said in a statement provided to Engadget.
The trial is expected to last about six weeks, with audio from proceedings being live streamed on the court's YouTube channel.