Meta set to face another high-stakes US trial

Meta is set to face another high-stakes US trial beginning this week, as four US states allege the social media giant deliberately made Instagram and Facebook addictive for children. The federal trial, one of many legal proceedings targeting social networks in the US, will commence with jury selection at a federal court in Oakland, California, on Wednesday. Opening statements are expected to begin on August 18, with the trial lasting approximately six weeks and a verdict anticipated in early October.

The attorneys general of California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey argue that Meta intentionally designed its platforms to be addictive for minors, and seek a range of restrictions on how the company operates for children, as well as up to $1.4 trillion in damages - nearly Meta's entire market capitalization, which exceeded $1.5 trillion on Friday.

Attorney General of California Rob Bonta, one of the lead plaintiffs in the case, expressed confidence in the allegations against Meta, stating that he believes they have demonstrated conclusively that the company's actions were malicious and harmful to children. Meta's CEO and founder, Mark Zuckerberg, is expected to testify as a star witness for the prosecution, having previously testified in a separate case in a Los Angeles court six months ago.

The Oakland trial marks the culmination of a legal standoff that began in late 2021 when former employee Frances Haugen leaked internal research, dubbed the "Facebook Files," which revealed Meta's knowledge of the potential harm its platforms were causing to teenage girls.