Opening arguments begin on Tuesday in a federal trial that could change social media forever. Meta, the company behind Instagram and Facebook, faces accusations it deliberately designed its platforms to addict children, with 29 US states seeking $200 billion in penalties.
The trial has been described by experts as social media’s “big tobacco moment”. States argue Meta knowingly harmed young people using technology specifically created to keep them hooked, much like cigarette companies did decades ago.
What Meta is accused of
The charges paint a damning picture. Prosecutors say Meta lied to parents and the public about how dangerous its apps are for children. They claim the company built features designed to keep young users scrolling for hours, including screen time limits that are deliberately easy to bypass. The states also allege Meta illegally collected data on children under 13 without asking parents first.
If Meta loses, the company could be forced to completely rebuild Instagram and Facebook. Nora Freeman Engstrom, a law professor at Stanford University, told AFP the case could mark “the beginning of a broader reckoning” for the tech giant.
Meta denies everything. The company insists it has worked with parents, experts and law enforcement to build safety features for children. A spokesperson said Meta “strongly disagrees” with the allegations.
Zuckerberg takes the stand
Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify, along with Instagram boss Adam Mosseri. Also appearing will be Arturo Bejar, a former Meta engineer who has become a central figure in the fight against social media companies. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers rejected Meta’s attempt to block Bejar from testifying, calling it a “Hail Mary” effort to “eliminate a strong witness”.
This is not Meta’s first legal battle over child safety. The company was convicted in two state courts this year, in California and New Mexico. It is appealing both verdicts.
The beginning of something bigger
This trial is just the start. Experts expect a wave of similar lawsuits targeting TikTok, Snapchat and YouTube as families, teachers and governments push back against platforms they blame for damaging young people’s mental health.
The case mirrors what happened to tobacco companies in the 1990s. Back then, dozens of states sued cigarette makers for hiding the health risks of smoking. They won a landmark settlement in 1998 that has cost tobacco companies more than $176 billion so far, with annual payments of $9 billion continuing indefinitely.
Vincent Joralemon, a director at Berkeley’s Life Sciences Law and Policy Center, told AFP: “It really feels like tobacco in the 1990s.”
During a hearing last week, lawyers for the states clarified they are seeking around $200 billion, not the $1 trillion figure Meta had claimed in court documents. The states’ lawyer said Meta appeared to have calculated the higher number “for shock value”.
Beyond the money, states want Meta to make major changes to protect young users, including proper limits on screen time.
What happens next
Eight people were selected last week to serve on an advisory jury, though the judge will make the final decision. The trial is expected to run for six weeks, with a verdict likely by October.
Meta has more than three billion users worldwide. Whatever happens in this courtroom could reshape how billions of people, especially children, use social media.
Four states, California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey, are leading the coalition that first sued Meta in 2023.
The outcome could determine whether social media companies face the same kind of long-term accountability that transformed the tobacco industry.
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