Daijiworld Media Network – California
California, Aug 19: Meta is facing a major US trial over allegations that its social media platforms pose serious risks to children, with four states seeking billions of dollars in damages and changes to the company's practices.
The trial began in a California federal court on Tuesday, with California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey pursuing the case. Several other states are expected to bring similar cases later.
Parents and advocates for children affected by social media-related harm gathered outside the courthouse in Oakland, carrying banners bearing the names of children and young adults who died following incidents linked to cyberbullying, sextortion and other online harms.
California Deputy Attorney General Megan O'Neill told jurors that the states would seek to establish that Meta designed its platforms to keep users engaged for as long as possible, collect their data and conceal information about potential harms.
The states allege that Meta deliberately designed features that could make its platforms addictive for children and contributed to the youth mental health crisis. They also allege that the company collected data from children under 13 without parental consent, in violation of federal law.
The states' first witness was Arturo Béjar, a former Meta contractor who worked on safety and cyberbullying issues. Béjar testified that Meta's internal safety research was not being adequately used to improve its products, despite the company's public statements, according to reports.
Meta has rejected the allegations. The company's lawyer, Paul Schmidt, argued that children under 13 are not permitted to use its platforms and that some minors provide false ages when creating accounts. He said Meta has taken significant steps to improve safety and that the evidence would demonstrate those efforts.
The company also faces several other lawsuits over alleged harms to children and young people. Meta has maintained that improving the safety of its platforms is an ongoing priority.
US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers is overseeing the proceedings in Oakland. The trial is expected to continue for around six weeks and is likely to include testimony from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, other executives and former employees.