A high-stakes legal battle has commenced in Oakland, California, where Meta is defending itself against claims that it intentionally hooked a generation of children on its platforms, Facebook and Instagram. The trial, which began on Tuesday, follows a 2023 lawsuit filed by 29 US states, including California and New York, alleging that the company violated federal and state privacy laws while knowingly contributing to mental health issues among young users. A jury will spend the next six weeks examining the competing claims presented by state attorneys and the social media giant.
During opening arguments, Megan O'Neill, a lead attorney representing California, contended that Meta discovered millions of 11 and 12-year-olds were active on Instagram but failed to take sufficient action to restrict their access. O'Neill relied on a vast collection of internal documents provided in the case, including research reports, employee emails, and chat logs involving senior leadership up to CEO Mark Zuckerberg. One internal research note highlighted by O'Neill stated that teens possess an "addict's narrative" regarding their social media usage. Another internal finding she presented to the jury noted that "product features designed to increase time spent are inherently at odds with well-being and take away from people's ability to focus on activity that adds value to their lives."
O'Neill argued that Meta’s overarching business model was centered on hooking users, holding them for as long as possible, harvesting their data, and concealing the truth about the potential harms of its platforms. She alleged that the company consistently prioritized profits over safety, despite internal warnings about the negative impacts on young people, and went out of its way to assure the public that its platforms were safe for children. She asserted that the trial would reveal a stark divide between what Meta stated publicly and what its internal research showed, claiming that when it came to making decisions, profits consistently won over safety.
Representing Meta, attorney Paul Schmidt challenged these claims, asserting that the states' accusations were misleading. Schmidt disputed the assertion that Meta had failed to police underage users, arguing that the very privacy laws the states claim were violated actually prevent the company from collecting and storing the data necessary to verify the age of every user effectively. Furthermore, Schmidt argued that social media addiction does not exist, citing past statements from Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram head Adam Mosseri that suggest scientific research has yet to prove that such an addiction is possible. He acknowledged that Meta recognizes users may struggle with their platform usage and has introduced tools to address those challenges, but maintained that the company's platforms were not designed to be addictive.
Schmidt also pushed back against the characterization of internal research, specifically addressing a report presented by the states which found that 1 in 5 teens reported Instagram made them feel worse. While conceding that "sounds pretty bad," Schmidt noted that the same document showed 41% of teens felt better while using the platform, and another 41% reported no effect. He argued that the prosecution was ignoring the positive experiences of many teenage users. Regarding the number of underage users, Meta’s representative countered the state's claim of millions, stating that just over 100,000 such users were identified.
The states are seeking billions of dollars in damages and are demanding that Meta implement significant changes to its platforms, such as removing infinite scroll features and disabling public "like" counts. The trial is expected to continue as the jury evaluates the conflicting claims presented by both sides.
Lawyers for Meta have been defending the company this year against several major lawsuits.
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