Meta to face massive social media addiction trial Tuesday

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, is scheduled to face off against attorneys general from multiple states in a landmark trial on Tuesday in Oakland, California. The lawsuit, filed by 29 states in 2023, alleges that Meta violated child safety and consumer protection laws, as well as harmed children's mental health through its social media platforms.

Plaintiffs claim that Meta intentionally created features like infinite scroll, autoplay, and likes to drive users to spend more time on the platform, leading to increased cases of anxiety, depression, and suicide. Meta has denied these allegations and opposes the potential damages, which could reach up to $1.4 trillion. The trial is expected to include testimony from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri.