OAKLAND: Meta is set to face another major US trial this week over claims that Facebook and Instagram were deliberately designed to make children addicted to social media.
Jury selection is scheduled to begin on Wednesday at a federal court in Oakland, California, with opening statements expected on August 18. The trial could last around six weeks.
Attorneys general from California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey accuse Meta of violating consumer protection laws and the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
The states are seeking restrictions on how Facebook and Instagram operate for minors and penalties that could reach $1.4 trillion, based on estimates of affected users.
Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify.
Social media design under scrutiny
The states argue that features including infinite scrolling, excessive notifications and “like” counts were designed to keep young users engaged for extended periods.
The case focuses on platform design rather than user-generated content, potentially avoiding legal protections that generally shield internet companies from liability for content posted by users.
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Meta has rejected the claims, saying it is confident in its record of protecting teenagers online and will defend itself against allegations it says misrepresent the facts.
The trial follows several legal setbacks for the technology giant.
A New Mexico judge recently ordered Meta to make product changes and pay more than $500 million to fund programmes addressing harms linked to Facebook and Instagram. A separate jury in the state previously awarded $375 million in damages.
Meta has appealed or plans to appeal those decisions.
In the Oakland case, the jury will serve in an advisory capacity, while US District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers will ultimately determine any penalties if Meta loses.
