Major Meta trial begins as lawyers spar over witnesses, damages

A trial against Meta has begun in California, with four US states - California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey - accusing the company of making Facebook and Instagram addictive for children. The states claim that Meta misled the public about the safety of its platforms and deliberately made them addictive for minors.

The states are seeking around $200 billion in damages, according to DW News, as well as significant changes to Meta's core platforms. They also allege that Meta is violating privacy laws by collecting data on children under 13 without their parents' consent. The case is part of a coalition of 29 states that sued Meta in 2023.

Meta founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify during the trial, along with former Meta employee Arturo Bejar, who will speak about the company's safety practices. Lawyers for the states and Meta are disputing witnesses and damages.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch Nigeria, Punch, DW English (Top Stories), DW News — 4 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.