Meta faces landmark US trial over Facebook, Instagram’s impact on children

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is facing a landmark trial in the United States over allegations that its platforms were deliberately designed to keep children and teenagers engaged while exposing them to risks to their safety and mental health.

The case, being heard in Oakland, California, stems from lawsuits filed by attorneys general from 29 US states. The initial trial focuses on claims brought by California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey, which accuse Meta of using platform features that encourage young users to spend excessive amounts of time on its services.

The states allege that features including infinite scrolling, autoplay videos, algorithm-driven content recommendations and frequent notifications are designed to repeatedly draw young users back to Facebook and Instagram. They also accuse Meta of collecting personal information from children under 13 without proper parental consent.

According to the states, these practices can negatively affect the mental health and wellbeing of children and adolescents. They are seeking financial damages as well as changes to the way Meta operates its platforms, including stronger age-verification measures, restrictions on the use of children's data in algorithms and limits on features such as infinite scrolling.

Court filings indicate that potential damages sought by the four states could reach as much as $1.4 trillion, making the case one of the most financially consequential legal challenges yet faced by Meta.

Meta has denied the allegations, arguing that it has already introduced a range of measures to improve the safety of younger users. The company has pointed to dedicated teen accounts, artificial intelligence-based age-detection technology and measures aimed at limiting young users' exposure to harmful content.

The trial comes as Meta faces growing legal scrutiny in the US over the impact of social media on children. In March, a New Mexico jury found the company liable for violating the state's consumer protection laws and imposed a $375 million penalty. A subsequent court ruling in August ordered Meta to pay an additional $567 million and make changes to Facebook and Instagram to strengthen protections for children and teenagers, bringing the total financial liability in that case to $942 million.

The Oakland trial could therefore have implications well beyond Meta. If the states succeed in proving their claims, the ruling could pressure social media companies to overhaul how they design platforms for young users, verify ages, recommend content and optimize features intended to maximize engagement.

The outcome is being closely watched across the technology industry as governments and regulators increasingly question whether social media platforms' engagement-driven business models adequately protect children.