Major Meta trial begins as lawyers spar over witnesses, damages
Facebook-parent Meta will defend itself in a landmark social media trial that begins Tuesday in California, where attorneys have sparred over witnesses and financial penalties. Dozens of US states sued four major tobacco companies for downplaying the harmful health impacts of their products, and won a 1998 landmark settlement that included financial penalties and changes to product marketing.
The landmark social media trial for Facebook's parent company Meta begins in California on Tuesday. Attorneys representing four states have clashed over witnesses and potential damages. The coalition of states, which includes California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey, filed a lawsuit against Meta in 2023. The selected states will argue that Meta intentionally made Facebook and Instagram addictive for children, violating state and federal laws.
Meta attempted to block ex-employee and expert witness Arturo Bejar from testifying, but Federal Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers dismissed the company's request. Judge Gonzalez Rogers described it as a "Hail Mary" effort to eliminate a strong witness for the plaintiffs. Bejar previously testified against Meta in a New Mexico trial, where the company lost.
During the trial, lawyers will question Bejar about Meta's practices regarding safety and growth, and whether the company misrepresented its knowledge. Meta has requested Judge Gonzalez Rogers to limit the scope of testimony from another potential expert witness, Colin Gray, who will be asked about "dark patterns" that manipulate users into making choices preferred by the company.
Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg is among the star witnesses expected to testify. The company strongly disagrees with the allegations in the trial. Lawyers for the states are seeking around $200 billion in damages, not the $1 trillion figure previously claimed by Meta, which they believe was for shock value.
The trial is expected to last six weeks, with a verdict anticipated by early October. While this is not Meta's first lawsuit, it could become one of the most consequential cases. Law professor Nora Freeman Engstrom and Berkeley's Vincent Joralemon see similarities with the tobacco industry's 1990s settlement, where major tobacco companies paid over $176 billion and agreed to change marketing practices.
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