Meta Disputes Claims of Deliberately Addicting Minors as Landmark Social Media Trial Begins

Meta disputes claims of deliberately addicting minors as landmark social media trial begins

A bellwether federal trial began on Tuesday testing whether Meta can be held liable for designing its platforms, Facebook and Instagram, to addict youth users. The case, In re: Social Media Adolscent Addiction/Personal Injury Products Litigation, is a consolidated multi-district litigation (MDL) under 28 USC 1407. The lawsuit combines claims brought by a coalition of State Attorneys General who sued Meta in 2023. The trial will hear consumer pro…

Four States Sue Meta for Allegedly Making Social Media Addictive for Kids

The first of the federal social media addiction trials began in Oakland, California this week, with four state attorneys general accusing Meta of deliberately addicting children to social media. The attorneys general of California, Kentucky, Colorado and New Jersey alleged Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram: “Created a business model focused on maximizing young users’ time on its platforms.” “Employs harmful and psychologically manipulati…

Meta Trial Opens in Oakland as Four States Seek Age-Verification Mandates

Opening statements began Tuesday, Aug. 18, in Oakland, California in a lawsuit filed by California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey against Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook and Instagram [1]. A jury was seated last week in the Oakland federal courthouse, according to court proceedings [2]. The four states are parties to a […]

State Takes Meta to Trial Over Youth Safety

Years after the lawsuit was filed, claims over Meta’s alleged impact on young users are finally going to trial.