29 states vs Meta: How a landmark child safety trial could reshape Facebook, Insta
A landmark federal trial has begun in California where 29 US states are suing Meta for allegedly designing Facebook and Instagram to be addictive and harmful to children. The lawsuit claims the company knowingly exploited adolescent psychological vulnerabilities and violated privacy laws, while Meta maintains that the allegations are unsubstantiated and taken out of context.
Why it matters
The outcome of this trial could set a massive legal precedent for how social media companies are regulated, potentially resulting in billions of dollars in damages and forcing fundamental changes to platform design.
Meta is facing a landmark legal challenge in the US that could have far-reaching implications for how Facebook and Instagram are designed and operated, after 29 states accused the company of deliberately creating products that exploit the psychological vulnerabilities of children and teenagers.The jury trial began this week in federal court in Oakland, California, and is expected to last six to eight weeks. California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey are leading the case on behalf of the 29 states.The 233-page lawsuit, filed in 2023, alleges that Meta designed and monetised Facebook and Instagram to encourage compulsive use among young people, concealed internal research about potential harms and violated laws protecting children's personal data.Meta strongly denies the allegations.What the 29 states are allegingThe states' case centres on four main claims.The first concerns what they describe as exploitative and addictive product design.
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