The first hearing in a significant trial against Meta Platforms begins Tuesday in a federal court in California. Attorneys general from California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey are seeking substantial financial damages and changes to how the company operates Facebook and Instagram. In 2023, 29 states sued the tech giant over child safety and privacy, with the remaining 25 states' cases to be heard later. The company also faces lawsuits in state courts. This was reported by infohub.kz.
The plaintiffs allege that the social media giant deliberately designed features to addict young people, harming their mental health. They also argue that Meta routinely collects data on children under 13 without parental consent, violating federal law. Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman stated that this is the largest consumer protection lawsuit in American history. He said that Meta concealed what it knew about the harm its products cause young people because looking away was more profitable.
Meta, for its part, expressed confidence in its case. In a statement, the company said it is proud of its record in protecting teens on its platforms and the efforts it has made over the years, even before these cases were filed. It looks forward to showing the judge and jury those facts in court.
The case is being heard by U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers in Oakland. The trial is expected to last six to eight weeks, with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and other executives and former employees testifying. Rogers, appointed by President Barack Obama in 2011, has overseen complex cases involving Big Tech, including Elon Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI and Epic Games' lawsuit against Apple.
This trial is part of a wave of lawsuits against Meta and other social media companies, including Google's YouTube, TikTok, and Snap, over allegations that their platforms harm young people, illegally collect their data, and are deliberately designed to addict them.