Landmark Meta Child Safety Trial Opens as Four States Seek Up to $1.4 Trillion in Penalties
Should Meta be forced to redesign Instagram and Facebook to make them less addictive for kids? Opening arguments began Tuesday in federal court in Oakland in a trial where attorneys general from California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey allege Meta designed Instagram and Facebook to be addictive to minors. Deputy California Attorney General Megan O'Neill said in her opening statement that Meta built its products to "hook the users, hold them for as long as they can, harvest their data, and then hide the truth from the public." The four states are part of a coalition of 29 attorneys general, Democratic and Republican, who first sued Meta in 2023.
The states are seeking up to $1.4 trillion in penalties and product changes under state consumer protection laws, and separately allege Meta violated the federal Children's Online Privacy Protection Act by collecting data on users under 13 without parental consent. Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who also presided over Elon Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI earlier this year, is overseeing a trial expected to last about six weeks. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg may testify, though attorneys general said they had not yet decided whether to call him.
The case follows a ruling this month by a New Mexico judge ordering Meta to pay $567 million and adopt new safety measures, including blocking push notifications to young users between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., after a jury found the company failed to protect minors from sexual exploitation. Meta spokesperson Stephanie Otway said the states offer "no proof anyone in their states was misled" and are chasing what she called an "outlandish payout."
What supporters say:
Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman calls the case the largest consumer-protection lawsuit in U.S. history, arguing Meta concealed internal knowledge of harm to young users for financial gain.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta says Meta can redesign its products to be less addictive and "still be wildly successful as a business."
New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport argues Meta put "profits over the health of a generation of young people" by ignoring internal warnings about its design choices.
What critics say:
Meta's spokesperson says the states have offered no proof any specific user was misled and are pursuing a payout disproportionate to any documented harm.
The judge overseeing pretrial proceedings has already signaled that some requested design changes, like eliminating infinite scroll, could conflict with Section 230 and First Amendment protections.
Legal scholars note the case rests on a novel design-defect theory rather than specific content, which some, including Duke law professor Stuart Benjamin, warn could get messy for courts to sort out.
What's your take?
Should Meta be forced to redesign Instagram and Facebook to make them less addictive for kids? Yes 
No 
Other 
Sources:
NPR: 'Profits won.' The child safety trial against Meta kicks off in federal court
Al Jazeera: Landmark trial on Meta's impact on children's mental health begins in US
#Meta #ChildSafety #BigTech #SocialMedia #Instagram
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