In Meta's trial, families of social media victims see pivotal moment for online safety

As opening remarks commenced on Tuesday in a trial against Meta Platforms, family members and supporters of social media victims gathered outside the federal courthouse in Oakland, California, displaying a banner listing the names of children and young adults who had lost their lives due to social media-related harms, including suicides resulting from cyberbullying or sextortion.

Among the 599 names was Giovanni, an 11-year-old, Bubba, a 13-year-old, and Englyn, a 14-year-old. Lennon Torres, an advocate with the Heat Initiative, stated that the names were merely the beginning, emphasizing that justice would be served. The courtroom doors were open, and it was time for the public to witness what Meta executives had long been aware of: their products were designed to addict and harm children.

Many of the parents attending previous trials, congressional hearings, and other events related to online child safety viewed this trial as a significant milestone. They had dedicated years to advocating for better protection of children online, and this lawsuit, in which the attorneys general from four states were seeking billions of dollars in damages for social media harms to children, marked a culmination of their efforts.

Amy Neville, whose 14-year-old son Alexander died from fentanyl poisoning after being deceived by a drug dealer on Snapchat, expressed her commitment to holding social media companies accountable. If they continued to hold them accountable, she believed that something would eventually change and that the platforms would become safe by design.

The lawsuit did not focus on individual cases or specific harms but rather on broader claims that Meta made decisions in designing Instagram and Facebook that put young users at risk and knew the platforms to be dangerous while lying about their dangers. Meta had rejected these allegations, asserting that the trial would demonstrate the work they had done to make their platforms safer.

The outcome of the trial could have significant consequences for Meta's bottom line and how its platforms were designed and operated. However, many parents were eager to see internal Meta documents brought to light during the trial.

John DeMay, whose son Jordan died by suicide at age 17 after falling victim to a sextortion scheme on Instagram, was among those closely watching the trial and the evidence that emerged. The parents present outside the courtroom, residents of California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey, thanked their attorneys general for their work in the case.

Lori Schott of Colorado, whose daughter Annalee died by suicide at 18 after being subjected to cyberbullying and comparing herself to others on social media, expressed her gratitude to Attorney General Phil Weiser for reviewing her daughter's social media feeds and journals posthumously.

Outside the courthouse, parents called for accountability from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram head Adam Mosseri. Lori Schott, representing her daughter Annalee, stated that while Meta was one of the most powerful companies in the world, power did not excuse harm. Profits should not erase the responsibility of Big Tech, and no company, regardless of its wealth, influence, or perceived invincibility, should be above the truth, the law, and its children.

Many parent advocates seemed optimistic about the trial's potential to bring about meaningful change in social media. Erin Popolo, whose daughter Emily Murillo died by suicide after enduring intense cyberbullying, expressed hope that the trial's outcome would lead to significant changes.