Meta faces a high-stakes federal trial in California over allegations that Facebook and Instagram were deliberately engineered to keep minors hooked, with a coalition of U.S. states seeking sweeping platform changes and penalties that could theoretically reach $1.4 trillion. Jury selection begins Wednesday in Oakland, with opening arguments scheduled for August 18. The proceedings are expected to last about six weeks and may culminate in testimony from Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg.
The case was filed in 2023 by the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey on behalf of roughly 30 states. Prosecutors accuse the company of violating consumer protection laws and federal children’s data rules by designing features that encourage prolonged use by young people. The states argue that Meta’s product choices — not user-generated content — are the core problem.
The financial exposure is staggering on paper. The $1.4 trillion figure approaches Meta’s entire market valuation, though Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers has already questioned the scale, calling it unreasonable. The jury’s role will be largely advisory; the judge will determine any penalties and remedies. Perhaps more consequential for Meta is the prospect of a court-ordered redesign of core features used by young people.
Zuckerberg is among the high-profile witnesses expected to appear. Prosecutors plan to scrutinize what Meta knew about the effects of its products on young users and whether the company publicly downplayed those risks. The litigation has drawn comparisons to the state-led lawsuits against the tobacco industry, which ultimately produced massive settlements and marketing restrictions aimed at minors.
Meta strongly disputes the allegations. The company says it is confident the evidence will demonstrate a long-standing commitment to protecting young people, citing collaboration with parents, experts and law enforcement. It argues that youth mental Health challenges cannot be attributed to any single platform and rejects the characterization of problematic social media use as a medically recognized addiction.
The states’ legal strategy focuses squarely on platform architecture rather than content. Prosecutors are expected to highlight infinite scrolling, push notifications and engagement tools such as “likes” as mechanisms designed to maximize time spent online by minors. By targeting design choices, the case seeks to sidestep legal protections that generally shield platforms from liability for user posts.
The trial arrives amid mounting legal pressure across the industry. This year Meta was ordered, jointly with YouTube, to pay $6 million to a Los Angeles teenager, and later hit with nearly $1 billion in penalties and damages in New Mexico over alleged harm to children. YouTube, Snapchat and TikTok face thousands of similar suits from families and school districts. In May, the four companies agreed to pay $27 million collectively to avoid a test case brought by a Kentucky school district. Legal experts warn the broader battle over the impact of social media on young people could stretch across decades, with implications for digital regulation worldwide.
