Meta is back in the courtroom to face its biggest social media addiction trial yet

On Tuesday, a group of 29 state attorneys general opened their case against Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, in a landmark trial that could redefine the way the social media giant operates. The trial, held in a federal court in Oakland, addresses allegations that Meta knowingly designed its platforms to be addictive, particularly for young users, to boost its advertising business and potentially harm the mental health of children and teenagers in the states represented.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who led the opening statements, criticized Meta's "move fast and break things" culture, claiming it has led to the mental health issues among kids. The attorneys general argue that Meta intentionally designed addictive features like recommendation algorithms, infinite scrolling feeds, and notifications, while falsely claiming the platforms were safe for young people.

They also allege that Meta misled the public and collected personal data from users under 13 without parental consent, in violation of the Children Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

Former Facebook engineering director Arturo Béjar, who is set to testify again on Wednesday, testified during opening statements that he struggled to prevent his teen daughter from encountering inappropriate content on Instagram despite working on safety features at Meta. The trial, brought in 2023, could result in Meta paying up to $1.4 trillion in damages if the states prevail, although they may settle for a smaller amount.

Meta has dismissed the allegations as "unsubstantiated" and claimed the proposed financial penalty is "vastly disproportionate."