Meta faces a new lawsuit in California over the impact of Instagram and Facebook on minors
The attorneys general of those states are seeking a long list of restrictions on minors' use of Instagram and Facebook, as well as fines that could reach $1.4 trillion, nearly the entire market capitalization of Meta, which exceeded $1.5 trillion on Friday.
Facebook and Instagram, subsidiaries of Meta Platforms. File photo
Meta faces a new and decisive trial starting this Wednesday in federal court in Oakland, California. Four states, California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey, accuse the company of creating Instagram and Facebook with the deliberate intent of making them addictive to young people.
Jury selection begins Wednesday. The trial itself will begin on Aug. 18 and is expected to last about six weeks, with a verdict anticipated in early October.
The four states accuse Meta of violating their consumer protection laws and the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) by rolling out features designed to keep minors hooked, infinite scrolling, intrusive or late-night notifications, and "like" prompts, while publicly downplaying the risks.
Mark Zuckerberg is among the key witnesses
According to AFP, the attorneys general of those states are seeking a long list of restrictions on minors' use of Instagram and Facebook, as well as fines that could reach $1.4 trillion, nearly the entire market capitalization of Meta, which on Friday exceeded $1.5 trillion.
Mark Zuckerberg is among the key witnesses the prosecution plans to question before the end of September. This would be his second appearance in six months, after a Los Angeles jury found his previous testimony unconvincing.
Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who previously presided over the Apple-Epic Games case, will have the final say on penalties and corrective measures. The jury will play only an advisory role. Parents of affected teenagers may testify again, and the proceedings can be followed live on YouTube.
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The legal strategy targets the design of the apps, not user-generated content, which allows it to circumvent the platforms' traditional immunity.
The company will argue that young people's mental health "cannot be attributed to a single app" and that some of the features being challenged are protected by the free speech provisions of the U.S. Constitution.
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