Meta faces landmark U.S. trial over teen addiction claims

Meta is on trial in a U.S. federal court in Oakland, facing allegations that its platforms, Facebook and Instagram, have fostered addiction among teenagers. The company is accused by 29 states of causing significant harm to young users' mental health and is being sued for nearly $200 billion.

The trial, which is expected to last six weeks, is the first federal case of a broader legal battle involving social media giants like TikTok, Snapchat, and YouTube. Families, school communities, and state authorities have accused these platforms of deteriorating adolescent mental well-being.

Attorneys for the states argue that Meta knowingly designed features to keep young users hooked and misled the public about the dangers of its applications. They are seeking substantial damages and demanding that platforms implement stronger default protections for minors, such as screen time limits and notification controls that users cannot override.

Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman stated, "We will show a jury that Meta hid what it knew about the harm caused to young people because looking the other way was more profitable." He drew parallels to past legal battles against the tobacco industry and companies involved in the opioid crisis.

Meta has faced previous legal setbacks, with two state-level convictions earlier this year in Los Angeles and New Mexico, though the company has appealed those decisions. The current federal trial is presided over by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, known for her previous rulings against Apple and her involvement in the recent Elon Musk and OpenAI dispute.

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We will show a jury that Meta hid what it knew about the harm caused to young people because looking the other way was more profitable.