New Delhi: A major legal battle over children’s safety on social media is set to begin this week in Oakland, California, where Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, faces allegations that it deliberately designed its platforms to be addictive for young users.
Jury selection is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, with opening statements expected on August 18. The trial is expected to last around six weeks, with a verdict potentially coming in early October.
The case has been brought by the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey. The states allege that Meta intentionally developed features designed to keep children and teenagers engaged for longer periods. Among the features being highlighted are infinite scrolling, frequent notifications and visible like counts.
The states are seeking changes to the way Facebook and Instagram operate for minors. They could also seek penalties of up to $1.4 trillion if Meta is found liable.
READ: Why Did Netanyahu Reject Trump’s 15-Point Gaza Plan?
The legal action traces its roots to 2021, when former Meta employee Frances Haugen leaked thousands of pages of internal company research, widely known as the “Facebook Files.” The documents revealed that Meta had studied the potential negative effects Instagram could have on some teenage girls. Critics later accused the company of publicly downplaying those risks.
The revelations helped fuel investigations by states across the country and eventually contributed to a wave of lawsuits against Meta.
The Oakland trial comes as the company faces mounting legal pressure over the safety of young users. In March, a Los Angeles jury found Meta and YouTube responsible for contributing to a teenager’s social media addiction and awarded the teenager $6 million.
READ: Google's $15 bn data center faces environment roadblock in India: Full story
In New Mexico, juries and judges have also issued major rulings against Meta over allegations involving harm to children. Most recently, a New Mexico judge ordered the company to pay more than half a billion dollars and make changes to its products to better protect young users.
Meta has continued to face scrutiny over whether its platforms adequately protect children from the potential harms of social media.
Follow NewsEdition.in on X (Twitter) and LinkedIn for more stories on politics, the world, business, and more.
Ends.
Comments (0)
Be the first to comment!