Meta heads to court in a landmark trial about kids and social media addiction
Meta is facing a landmark federal trial brought by four states alleging that the company intentionally designed its platforms to be addictive for children. The case draws parallels to historical litigation against tobacco and opioid manufacturers, focusing on product design and data privacy violations.
Why it matters
The outcome of this trial could set a major legal precedent for how social media companies are held accountable for the design of their algorithms and their impact on public health.
Meta will head into federal court on Tuesday to fend off accusations from a group of state attorneys general that it designed its social media platforms to hook children, lied to the public about the risks those platforms posed and gathered data on kids in violation of the law.
Technology Jury finds Meta and Google negligent in social media harms trial Technology Verdicts against Meta and Google may bring a new era of big tech accountability The case is the latest in a wave of suits against social media companies, meant to hold them accountable for the way they design their products . Legal experts compare it to landmark litigation against tobacco and opioid manufacturers that changed those companies' behaviors as well as the public discussion about the risks of cigarettes and prescription painkillers.
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