Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, faces a high-stakes legal battle in Oakland, California, as a coalition of 29 US states alleges that the social media giant deliberately designed its platforms to be addictive and harmful to children. The lawsuit, which opened last Tuesday near Meta’s Silicon Valley headquarters, accuses the company of violating federal child privacy laws and state consumer protection statutes by collecting data from users under 13 without parental consent.
The prosecution, led by California along with Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey, contends that Meta’s business model focuses on four key tactics: drawing users in (“hook”), keeping them engaged (“hold”), extracting their personal information (“harvest”), and obscuring these practices from the public (“hide”). Prosecutor Megan O’Neill asserted that these strategies have been particularly effective—and damaging—when applied to children.
Over the first week, the trial included testimony from former Meta safety engineer Arturo Béjar, who worked at the company between 2009 and 2021 and has since become a vocal critic. Béjar highlighted his personal motivation for testifying, citing his teenage daughter’s experience with harassment on Instagram and the platform’s inadequate response mechanisms. He characterized Meta’s approach to child safety as a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. The prosecution introduced an internal 2021 survey Béjar conducted that reported 51% of teen Instagram users had encountered harmful experiences in the prior week, with Facebook removing only 0.02% of offending content.
Meta has denied the accusations, with spokesperson Liza Crenshaw dismissing the lawsuit as an attempt to “chase an outlandish payout.” The company maintains that it does not permit children under 13 to create accounts and that it has disabled more than one million such underage accounts. In opening statements, Meta attorney Paul Schmidt acknowledged that while social media can be challenging for some users, the company has implemented tools to mitigate risks.
The lawsuit also seeks to impose significant reforms on Meta’s product designs to enhance user safety for children, which could fundamentally alter the company’s operating model. If found liable, Meta could face damages up to $200 billion—an amount approximate to its forecasted 2025 revenue.
Earlier this year, Meta lost two similar lawsuits relating to user safety and product design. One case resulted in a $1 billion judgment for the state of New Mexico over failures to prevent child sexual exploitation. Another awarded a young woman over $4 million for harm linked to allegedly addictive product features.
Additional testimony this week included recorded depositions from former Meta user experience researchers Elena Davis and Natalie Troxel, as well as psychologist Jean Twenge from San Diego State University. The trial, presided over by Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, is expected to continue for six to eight weeks. The jury’s advisory recommendations will guide the final verdict and potential penalties.