‘Big Tobacco moment’: Meta faces US$200b trial over Instagram and Facebook addiction in kids

Oakland, August 19 - In a trial likened to the "big tobacco moment" for social media, Meta faced charges in a federal court that it knowingly hooked and exploited children on Instagram and Facebook. Attorney General Phil Weiser of Colorado explained that the states are stepping in where Congress has failed, as this case involves public health and marketing to children that has caused harm.

During opening statements, California prosecutor Megan O'Neill painted Meta's business model as one that "hooked the users, held them for as long as they can, harvest their data, and then hide the truth from the public." Despite acknowledging that some users had negative experiences on the apps, Meta's lawyer Paul Schmidt argued that the company had introduced tools to help users.

Former Meta engineering director Arturo Bejar testified that during Facebook's early years, "the goal was to get things into the hands of users as fast as possible, which meant that a lot of the time, safety or security was an afterthought." The trial, which could force major changes in Meta's practices, might be one of the most consequential lawsuits if it leads to significant alterations in the company's operations.