Meta Faces Landmark Federal Trial Over Youth Social Media Addiction

The trial, set to begin Tuesday in federal court, consolidates lawsuits from state attorneys general across the country, including California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey. The states are seeking up to $1.4 trillion in penalties and product changes, alleging Meta violated consumer protection laws by designing Facebook and Instagram to keep young users hooked.

The complaints target specific features such as the 'like' button, infinite scrolling, and recommendation algorithms, which the states argue prioritize engagement and ad revenue over children's safety. They also claim Meta's visual filters promote eating disorders and body dysmorphia, and that the company allowed children under 13 to use its platforms and collected their personal data without parental consent, violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.

New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said in an interview, 'We allege in our complaint, and what we're prepared to prove at trial, is that they're deceiving consumers about Facebook and Instagram's dangers. They're putting the profits … over the health of a generation of young people.'

Meta has denied the allegations. A spokesperson said, 'The AGs offer no proof anyone in their states was misled, claim benign features like having an additional Instagram account somehow harmed their residents, and attempt to penalize Meta for industry-wide challenges like age verification. We stand by our record of creating strong protections for teens and look forward to making our case in court.'

The trial follows a recent U.S. appeals court ruling that allowed thousands of similar lawsuits against Meta, Google, TikTok, Snapchat, and other platforms to proceed, rejecting arguments that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act shields them from liability. In a separate New Mexico case, a court ordered Meta to pay $942 million in penalties and fund a teen mental health program, a decision Meta has said it will appeal.