Meta hooked children on Facebook and Instagram, court hears
A major trial began in Oakland, California, as 29 US states accuse Meta of intentionally addicting children and harming their mental health.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Meta's major child privacy trial officially opened on Tuesday in Oakland, California.
- Twenty-nine US states joined the lawsuit originally filed back in 2023.
- State attorneys claim Meta purposely hooked children on social media platforms.
- Meta's legal team argued that social media addiction does not actually exist.
The largest legal battle faced by the social media giant kicked off as a jury in Oakland, California, prepared to spend six weeks reviewing arguments and evidence presented by top attorneys from multiple US states alongside representatives for the company.
The court proceedings stem from a lawsuit initiated in 2023 by 29 US states, including California and New York, alleging multiple violations of federal and state children's privacy laws. Beyond seeking billions of dollars in financial damages, the states are demanding substantial changes to Instagram and Facebook, such as removing "like" counts and infinite scrolling features.
Proceedings began on Tuesday with opposing opening statements. Megan O'Neill, a lead attorney representing California, heavily relied on millions of documents obtained from Meta during discovery, including internal research, employee emails, and chat logs reaching up to chief executive Mark Zuckerberg.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
O'Neill told the court that public statements regarding Meta prioritizing safety over profits directly contradicted internal findings, stating that profits consistently won whenever crucial decisions were made. In response, Paul Schmidt, a lead defense attorney for Meta, addressed an internal research report presented by the state, remarking that it sounded quite bad while arguing that the positive experiences of many teens were being ignored.
Regarding user age verification, Schmidt argued that the very privacy regulations Meta was accused of violating actually prevent the company from saving and utilizing the data required to effectively track underage users. Furthermore, reiterating a defense stance maintained in other litigation throughout the year, Schmidt argued that social media addiction does not exist.
"That sounds pretty bad."
Paul Schmidt, Lead Attorney for Meta
This high-stakes trial highlights growing regulatory scrutiny over how technology companies design features that capture young users' attention. The legal challenge against engagement-driven mechanics like infinite scrolling could set a significant precedent for tech accountability and reshape safety standards across the digital industry worldwide.
Source: BBC Business
Found something wrong in this article? Report an issue with this article
Comments
Leave a Comment